


Soul Bound

by ElleMalfoy65



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:33:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 49,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9802790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleMalfoy65/pseuds/ElleMalfoy65
Summary: Buried in the dungeons of Hogwarts, lies a woman in an enchanted coma. Her soul yearning for its bond. Yearning for her husband. Centuries later, when a new generation is born again, her husband's soul as well, she is awakened. With Dumbledore's help, will she get a second chance? To finally be with her other half. Founders/Hermione-Draco





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Okay, so here goes. This is technically my second Harry Potter/Dramione fic, but also technically my first. This is the second one I started writing after a fellow fan, Courtney, posted on FaceBook about her own idea for this story, wanting someone to write it. So I decided to give it a shot. I decided to post this one as I complete each chapter and once it has been through my awesome beta, Frogster.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoy it. My only gain from this is reviews and I sincerely hope that y'all like it as much as I have enjoyed creating it so far. This idea was unlike anything I had heard before and I hope I do it justice, Courtney. This is after all, for you. Without anymore of my babble.

“No! Mine!” Seraphina yanked at the snake figurine, trying to wrestle it from Eldric’s hand. The two toddlers were always fighting, perhaps a product of the discordance they always witnessed from their parents.  At this moment, the toddlers’ parents were doing what they did best--arguing. Though, this time, it wasn't over the building of the school. This time, it was over the two bickering toddlers. 

“It is the only way to ensure the school stays in the right hands.” This came from Salazar, with Rowena nodding in agreement. 

“I agree, with Seraphina and Eldric being wed, the school will remain in the hands of the founders, so to speak, when we are no longer here.”

Helga shook her head, “But we are taking away their choice to find love on their own. The way we have.” She looked up at Godric, a smile on her face. 

“We are essentially taking away their free will if we agree on this. But Helga, they have a valid point. Who better to continue to run the school in our absence than our own children?”  

Helga’s eyes drifted over to the golden blond hair of her son’s head. “I do not like this one bit, Godric. And let it be known, that I think it is doomed to fail. But I will go along with it.” Without looking away from her son, she pointed her wand at the parchment and magically signed her name.

XxX

The construction of Hogwarts was over halfway complete and upon the insistence of her parents, they were living in the completed wing of the castle. Unfortunately for Seraphina, so was her betrothed, and royal pain in her arse, Eldric. She tried her hardest to avoid him as much as she could. But there were only so many hiding places in a partially finished wizarding school.

That day found her sitting on one of the finished staircases, watching the wizards who were building the castle. Her eyes followed the movement of one particular wizard more than any others. He was the youngest of them all, closest to Seraphina’s tender seventeen. And he was handsome. So very different from Eldric. They were both blonde, but that was where their similarities ended. Eldric’s hair was golden, like a snitch. This wizard’s hair was a blonde so pale that it was almost as if there were no pigment in it at all. 

His nose was straight but it curved up at the end, into a point, giving him an aristocratic look. His fine nose, mixed with his high cheekbones, gave off the air that he was better than everyone around him. She was staring so intently that for a moment she didn't realize that he had caught her. A flush climbed up her neck and hit her cheeks. His eyes were a beautiful dark color, the likes of which she had never seen before, so dark they were almost fathomless. They would definitely float around in her dreams for the next few months. “What are you doing down here, Sera? We're supposed to be studying.”

Seraphina jumped at Eldric’s voice in her ear, standing from her seated position on the stairs. “I was hiding from you,” she said scathingly, hurrying off in the opposite direction, embarrassment carrying her feet. She couldn't believe she had been caught. But she was glad that it had only been Eldric.

XxX

Seraphina looked around. It was the middle of the night and she was heading out to meet Thatcher Black, the wizard who was helping build the school. They had been secretly courting for the better part of three months now. She knew it was a bad idea, and went against her parents betrothal contract, but she just could not marry Eldric. He was selfish, arrogant and he was a git.

Glancing over her shoulder once more, she turned through a doorway and climbed a short staircase. Once in a large room, she looked around, but he wasn't here yet. This particular tower would become the dorms for future students of the Ravenclaw house, which was why she felt more comfortable coming here than anywhere else in the castle. Well, other than the dungeons, but they were cold this time of night.

She conjured a fire in the massive stone fireplace, warming the room instantly as she waited for her love. She paced to the windows, overlooking the beautiful grounds, her eyes taking in the forest on the edge of the property. The footsteps behind her had her turning, a smile on her face. “Thatcher.” She quickly crossed the room, allowing herself to be pulled into his arms. Her own slid around his waist as she rested her ear against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her. “Oh, how I have missed you, Seraphina. It is getting harder to be away from you.”

She pulled back to look up at him with a sad smile. “I know, my love. Sadly, I think Eldric is growing suspicious. We have to be careful.” 

Thatcher leaned down and brushed his lips gently against hers. “Run away with me. I love you. We'll get married. They can't make you marry him if we are already married.” 

A skeptical look crossed her face. “I suppose you are right, let's get married. I love you, too. So much, Thatcher. But when?”

“Now. I know a wizard who will marry us right now if we show up. I've got the galleons to pay for it too. Come with me. He even does soul bonding, if that's what you would want. My brother works in the Ministry--he can be the witness and hide the marriage certificate. So we could hide the marriage for a while.” He blushed at the mention of that. Soul bonding was very similar to an Unbreakable Vow. Though, if it was ever broken, the fate would be far worse than death--the two would live on, in utter sadness, for the rest of their lives. “That is absolutely what I want. Let's go. Now.” She smiled at him, her fingers linking with his as she waited for him to Apparate them to their destination.

XxX

Thatcher hadn't been kidding when he'd said he had the Galleons to pay for the wedding. It was the evening of the same day, and they were laying in his bed. The house he lived in was immaculate; his parents were wealthy and had given him a large inheritance that he had gained access to when he had become a full wizard, reaching the age of majority, or seventeen. As they lay tangled together in the sheets, Seraphina couldn't help but dread what awaited her back at the castle. 

XxX

When she returned at dinner time, her parents had been nothing short of irate at her disappearance. They all but yelled at her, asking where she'd been. “I just went into Hogsmeade. I wanted to see the progress made there as well.” She and Thatcher had talked about this, knew her absence would have been noticed. The other family at the table sat in silence, eating their meal, but Seraphina could feel Eldric’s eyes burning into the side of her head.

When dinner was over, she made her way to Ravenclaw tower, Thatcher was watching for her there. But when she arrived, he wasn't alone. Eldric was there, wand to his throat, while Thatcher was bound with tight black ropes, a strip of fabric between his lips and tied behind his head. “I knew the two of you had been seeing each other. I was willing to let it go on for some time, after all, you would be marrying me. The contract says so.”

Seraphina was rooted to the spot, her wand left behind in her room. She could do nothing in the situation but watch. “Last night, I followed you here, listened in on your little conversation. When I ran in to try and stop you from apparating, I was too late. You were already gone.” He sneered, dragging his wand down the side of Thatcher’s face, creating a long gash on his cheek. She almost fainted at the sight. “Eldric, please! I love him!” But her pleas fell on deaf ears as he ordered her to follow him to the dungeons as he levitated her husband along with them.

XxX

It had been hours upon hours since she had last seen Thatcher. Once Eldric had brought them to the dungeons, he had separated them. She could hear Thatcher’s screams echoing from elsewhere in the dungeons. When they had cut off abruptly, her fear had risen. Eldric returned shortly after, splattered in blood, his wand raised at her. He tortured her for what felt like hours. Her body torqued on the cold, damp stone floor, throat torn and bloody from screaming Thatcher’s name. Finally, blissfully, she lost consciousness.

XxX

When she regained her consciousness, she looked around the dark dungeon, realizing she was alone. Eldric was nowhere to be found and she couldn't hear him rustling around. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, and went in search of Thatcher. From the appearance of Eldric earlier, she knew her love would be in no shape to leave the dungeons.

She searched them in their entirety, not finding a trace of him. Her energy flagged and she sank to the cold stone floor. Calling upon her core magic, she closed her eyes, bringing to her mind the enchantment for the soul calling spell the priest had them memorize. The spell would act as a beacon for a person’s other half, should they become separated. As she recited the words, however, she didn't realize that she was slipping. Her heartbeat was slowing, her consciousness dwindling. Her body listed sideways as she slumped to the floor. As the incantation finished in her mind, Seraphina slipped into a magically induced coma.

She could only be awakened by the return of her husband’s soul.

XxX

Eldric returned to the dungeons hours later after disposing of that filthy Muggleborn’s body. Now Sera would be his, with no one to stand in his way. It would be as their parents wanted. He walked into the part of the dungeon he had left her to find it empty. A frown marred his features as he looked around. She couldn't have gotten far. Not in the state he had left her.

His feet carried him in search of her, flitting into room after room, coming to a halt inside the last room, his breath caught in his chest. “No…” He rushed to her slumped form, brushing her hair from her face. “Sera, wake up. Sera!” He shook her shoulders, patted her face, pointed his wand at her temple and shouted, “Rennervate!” But nothing worked. “Seraphina! Wake up!” He lifted her in his arms, and she hung like a piece of fabric, no tension in her limbs. “What have I done?”

He couldn't let their parents find out about this. He left the room, turning towards the unfinished section of the dungeons, and found a place to bury her within the stone walls. There was an alcove with a large stone bench, already in place, he laid her on the bench, in a peaceful repose, and then sealed up the space. He used every charm and ward available to him to ensure that it would never be found until when she awoke. Then he turned and fled, a plan forming in his head as to explain her disappearance.

XxX

“HE WHAT?!” Eldric cowered under Salazar’s rage. “THIS IS WHY I WANTED NO FILTHY MUDBLOODS INVOLVED IN MAKING OR ADMITTED ONCE THIS SCHOOL IS UP AND RUNNING!” The air was crackling with magical energy and every hair was standing on end. “I took care of him. I killed him, but not before he had already…” Eldric choked out a sob before continuing, “disposed of Sera.”

Rowena was sobbing in his mother's arms, and he couldn't bear to look at the sight. It hurt his chest to look at it. Of course, the cause for the heartbreak was mostly his fault. But he was a jealous git. He had wanted Seraphina to himself. He ducked as Salazar threw out a random curse, a hole exploding in one of the newly formed walls of what would be the Great Hall. Before the wizard stormed from the hall, the founder of Slytherin bellowed, “No mudblood will ever be allowed in my house. EVER!”


	2. Rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I surprised myself with this one and how fast I cranked it out. As I mentioned in my first A/N, I am also writing another fic, which is another Dramione. I do not plan on posting that one until I get about 10 chapters written. So what I am trying to do, is write a chapter for Soul Bound, and then a chapter for that one. Alternating. Luckily, I am ahead on that one. So, as I said, I surprised myself that I wrote this one in just three short days. This chapter is shorter than what I would like to try to write for you guys, but I hope you all enjoy.
> 
> Once again, thank you Frogster for your beta expertise! You're amazing. You along with Courtney and Chelsey helped me to decide that this was the correct course of action for this chapter. I hope the rest of you enjoy it as much as I did. Enough with my rambling!
> 
> As always, I own nothing.  
> Reviews are the BEST form of payment!
> 
> XoXo  
> Elle.

It was the middle of the night, and her husband was wrapped around her, his hand on her protruding stomach. She wasn't as big as she would get, by no means, but her pregnant belly was big enough to be visible beneath her robes. As Narcissa lay awake, staring at the early June night sky while resting in her husband's arms, she wondered how her life would change in the coming months. She still had just over three months to go until the baby arrived.

Plans had been drawn, renovations had been started and a nursery was taking shape in the west wing of the manor. That, of course, had been Lucius’ idea. Little did he know that the baby would be staying in their suite with them for the first few weeks at least. It was one battle he would not win. She would not just pawn off her precious little baby on a house elf to raise.

In her mind's eye, the image of a pale-haired, grey-eyed, angular-faced little boy appeared, smiling at her. This image was what she imagined their child to be. She didn't know the sex yet, but as the Malfoy bloodline had produced nothing but male firstborns for the last few centuries or so, it was only right to assume the same would happen this time.

“My Draco.” She whispered into the darkness. So sure were she and her husband that they didn't even bother with trying to pick out names for a daughter. Narcissa rolled to her back, attempting to ease the twinge that had caused a wince to form on her face. When that didn't help, she turned to face her husband. All at once it was as if her entire lower stomach cramped up and she felt wetness between her legs.

As her eyes went wide, she threw the covers back and shook Lucius with a clammy hand. “Lucius, turn on the lamp.”

When he groggily obliged, Narcissa stared at the space between her legs in horror. The spot on the mattress was tinged pink, and Lucius paled at the sight of it. “Dobby!” he bellowed. 

The elf appeared at once. “Y-yes, Master.” 

“Fetch Mrs. Malfoy’s healers at once. Bring them here immediately. Tell them there's something wrong with the baby.”

The little elf’s eyes widened in fear and he disapparated at once. Narcissa looked at her husband, her entire body shaking as her hand rested on her stomach. “Lucius, it's too soon.” 

He leaned over to stroke her hair back from her flushed face. “I know, Cissa. I know. But the Healers will know what to do.” Moments later, Dobby returned with the Healers and Lucius was shunted from the bed as a flurry of activity consumed Narcissa.

There were potions shoved into her hands and down her throat. Spells and charms were cast over her swollen abdomen, but nothing slowed the labor. Her sweet baby was determined to make his appearance. That behavior was so Malfoy-ish that she laughed despite the pain. Her husband looked at her, eyes wide and incredulous. “Whatever could you be laughing about?” 

“Only a Malfoy would insist on being born early.” Lucius, too, laughed at that.

The head Mediwizard looked up at the couple, a frown marring his features. “I'm afraid there is a bit of a complication.” Narcissa’s heart sank and she reached for her husband’s hand, listening as the healer continued.

“Since your child is not to term, he hasn't flipped into the proper position in the birth canal. Instead of head first, he is in the breech position, which is feet first. Now, it is possible to deliver this way, but there are risks that could endanger the baby. The baby’s arms could get caught—” at this he raised his arms above his head—“and dislocate the shoulders. The head could also get stuck in the canal, causing a host of different things. Things that I'd much rather not frighten you with.

“We have a couple of options. The first--according to the wand scans, we still have the time to try and reposition before delivery. The baby hasn't fully descended into the birth canal.” As Narcissa tried to absorb all the information, she looked up at her husband, her eyes frightened.

“What do you mean by reposition?” 

The healer nodded and pushed the glasses up further on the bridge of his nose. “By using a mixture of magic and our hands, we add a pressure on your belly and the baby, shifting the fetus until we completely rotate the baby around into the correct position for delivery. The other safest option would be to perform a cesarean, but as we couldn't possibly set up a sterile enough field in time, that option is not possible.”

Narcissa’s eyes closed as she swayed in her spot on the bed, swallowing thickly. “Then we will go with the first option.” Lucius answered for her, squeezing her hand, his free hand running down her blonde locks. 

Narcissa nodded, looking at her husband before turning to the Healer. “Yes, we will.” The Healer nodded as well and returned to his fellows.

When the two Malfoys were alone, Narcissa returned her gaze to her husband. “Lucius, I'm scared.” 

He leaned down to kiss her forehead and smiled sadly. “I know you are, love. I am as well. But they know what they are doing. All will be well.”

A few minutes later, a potion vial was held in front of Narcissa, the Mediwitch smiling softly at her. “For the pain, lass.” Narcissa slid the contents down her throat, shuddering at the awful taste. The wizard she had been talking to came forward again to tell her it was time. 

“Lie back and get as comfortable as you possibly can, Mrs. Malfoy. Even with the pain potion this will be extremely uncomfortable. Mr. Malfoy, if you would please stay as near the wall and head of the bed as you can. This takes a lot of maneuvering space.” Lucius nodded and moved into position, his hand never releasing his wife’s.

With a nod from the Mediwizard, the witch who had given the last potion raised her wand and started a nonverbal spell. The purple jet of light disappearing into Narcissa’s exposed stomach, she watched, wide eyed as her skin rippled and moved. She could feel her son's tiny body being moved in her abdomen and the wizard had been right. This was extremely uncomfortable. She squeezed Lucius’ hand tightly, sure she was about to break his fingers. But that was before the Mediwizard put his hands on her abdomen and started to physically turn the tiny, unborn fetus’ body.

If someone had told Narcissa that pregnancy would bring a pain this great, she would have laughed in their face. There was no way the actual birth would be this painful. The scream that ripped from her throat wasn't intentional; she had been trying to hold it in. But the pain was too great to contain it. It was like they had put her stomach and her son in a vice grip and were twisting relentlessly. Narcissa was on the verge of passing out, her vision darkening at the edges when the pressure was released.

“Scan the baby, please.” The Mediwizard ordered, and one of his assistants obliged, pointing her wand and muttering the incantation. The grainy image of Narcissa’s precious baby hovered over her body and her eyes latched on. She could see his limbs moving and knew that he was okay.

She was so focused on her baby, her Draco, that she didn't even hear the conversation going on around her until Lucius called her name. “Narcissa.” She looked away from the image, realizing it had already disappeared. “The Mediwizard said that the baby is now in position.” With that, he nodded back to the dark-haired wizard.

“Yes, sir. Ma’am, the baby is in position. The only thing to do now is wait for the labor to progress. I will actually step out now and let one of my assistants check you, see where our progress stands now. Give us an idea.” He smiled gently, indicating the ginger witch. “Thank you so much, Healer…” Narcissa let that hang. She had no idea of their names. Everything had been such a blur since they had been called.

“My apologies, Mrs. Malfoy. I am Healer Youngstown. This is Healer Givenstall and that is Healer Chappell. I am going to excuse myself now.” With that, he walked out of the Malfoy’s suite, closing the door behind himself as Healer Givenstall proceeded forward to check Narcissa for progress.

XxX

Dumbledore had been pacing the castle as of late. He could feel some kind of ancient magic building. He had been trying to trace the origin of it, had combed the entirety of the dour stone building. Except for the dungeons.

All other professors, with the exception of Trelawney, had left for the summer—even McGonagall, which had surprised him. As he entered the dungeon, he felt the magic hit him in the face. He knew he was on the right trail. He had always felt this low level hum of magic that was different from the magic embedded in the castle itself. But it had never, in his lengthy time at Hogwarts, been this strong.

As he made his way through the dungeons, the stronger the feeling got. It had gotten so thick, that it felt as if he were wading through a thick sludge. When he came to a blank space of wall, he looked around, perplexed. This is where the magic was strongest, but there was nothing here. He placed his hand on the wall, the stone practically vibrating under his touch.

XxX

As another scream ripped through the Manor, Lucius supported his wife’s shoulders as she bent over her swollen stomach to push, her hands trapped behind her hinged knees. Healer Youngstown was at the foot of the bed, on a transfigured stool, encouraging Narcissa. “That is great, Mrs. Malfoy! Keep pushing.” Healer Chappell waited beside him with a blanket for the baby, as Healer Givenstall helped Lucius and wiped Narcissa’s brow.

It was now nearing sunrise, and Narcissa had been pushing for hours. She was well and truly exhausted, her body hurting all over, but the end result would be beyond worth all the pain. “One more big push, Mrs. Malfoy, we’re almost there.” As Narcissa relaxed for just a moment, she stared into her husband’s eyes. “You can do this, Cissa. You are the strongest woman I know. I love you.” With the deepest breath she could gather and a nod, she doubled back over on herself and gave the most forceful push she could muster.

All of a sudden, there was a feeling of emptiness in her body that was curiously strange, but that was only momentary. Lucius left her side to cut the cord, and then the room was filled with the most wondrous sound—the strangled, muffled cry of her newborn son, her Draco.

XxX

Honey colored eyes flipped open in a pitch black alcove. A cold stone bench was biting into her back, and her body was so stiff it felt like it was made out of the stone it was lying on. As Seraphina took her first deep breath, the only word she cared to say passed her lips, “Thatcher.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know, I know! First cliffy, and in the first official chapter, no less. But, this is where I felt the chapter needed to end. I really hope you enjoyed it, ladies and gents! As always, please review. Concrit accepted! Just don't completely bash. I have great things planned, don't worry!
> 
> XoXo,  
> Elle


	3. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay my Soulies. I have officially dubbed you with a name, you're mine forever now, MUHAHAHAHA!! Ahem, forgive me. It's the pain induced sleep deprivation talking. I'll be glad when I finally get this tooth yanked. But I digress. Below is the next installment of Soul Bound, and let me just say, it is chock full of content. So much so, that it was literally physically exhausting for me to write. But I couldn't love how it turned out anymore than I do. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
> 
> As always, a special thanks to Frogster for being an awesome and quick beta! A forever thanks to Courtney for giving me the chance to bring her idea to life. And always, thank you to my readers. Your follows, favorites and reviews give me fuel to keep writing.
> 
> Also, update on my second fic, I now have a name for it, so be on the look out soon for Can't Unlove You. I will start posting once I have reached 10 chapters written. Today I will start writing on chapter 5. So it won't be long.
> 
> Again, reviews are my only reward. I own nothing. All Hail Queen JK!
> 
> Enough of my drabble.
> 
> XoXo,  
> Elle

As the darkness persisted, Seraphina began to panic. She could see nothing, hear nothing. She sat straight up on the bench and looked around, it did nothing to ease her panic. “Thatcher?! Where are you?” She remembered what had happened, remembered Eldric coming in all bloodied, then waking alone after being tortured. She had gone looking for Thatcher, but had not been successful. The last thing she remembered was performing the Soul Calling spell and then nothing.

As her panic increased, she stood and began searching for a way out. Her hands found nothing but stone walls. Walls humming with magic--she must still be in Hogwarts. She screamed once again, “THATCHER!” As if a tide were rising inside of her, she felt all of her magic swell in her bosom, vibrating her body. With a primal yell, the energy released from her body, blasting the wall Eldric had erected out and away from her.

XxX

Dumbledore had been standing on the other side of the blank wall for some time now--it had to be near dawn. The magic he had felt had been steadily building. Just a moment ago, he thought he heard something from the other side of the thick stone bricks. But that couldn't be, it was just a solid wall. 

Or so he thought.

The magic he had been feeling swelled to the point where he had taken a few steps back from the wall. He watched in wide-eyed amazement as the wall in front of him began to shake, the ground vibrating under his feet. He didn't have time to brace himself as he was flung backward and partially buried by the debris of what had been the brick wall. He sat up just in time to see a young woman with long curly brown hair and honey colored eyes blink rapidly at the light and step free of the hole in the wall before he succumbed to darkness.

XxX

As Seraphina’s eyes adjusted to the light, she looked around at the destruction she had caused, surprise in now in her eyes.  She saw a pair of feet beneath the rubble, and she rushed forward, pulling her wand from her robes, lifting the piles of stones away from the body.

When she was finished, she looked down at the man. She expected it to be Thatcher, if she were honest with herself. But this man, he had long silver hair, a beard that reached his stomach, half moon spectacles that were cracked and askew on his face. He roused on a groan, lifting his head to look at her. She realized she had still held out hope for this man to be Thatcher, but when his opened lids revealed twinkling blue eyes, her hope vanished. “My dear, who are you?”

“I am Seraphina Slytherin. Daughter of Salazar and Rowena. Are you a professor here at the school?” She helped the old wizard to sit up with a slight smile. “Where is Thatcher? My parents? Or Eldric, Godric and Helga?” She looked around as if they would appear. 

The elderly wizard looked at her in surprise, his mouth hanging open slightly. “Slytherin? Salazar? Rowena? They were your parents?” Seraphina sat up straight. “Whatever do you mean ‘were’?” As the wizard sat up fully, he gave her a sad smile.

“Let us go to my office and I'll answer any questions you ask of me. To the best of my knowledge. I, by the way, am Headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore.” As the man, Albus, rose from the ground, he offered his arm to Seraphina. She took it and followed him up from the dungeons.

As they made their way to the entrance hall, she was surprised to see that the school seemed finished. When they made it to the marble staircases, they had to wait a couple of times for it to change directions. Seraphina was in awe of the magic her parents put in place to make the school what it was.

“Fizzing Whizbee.” Seraphina eyed the wizard questioningly, but when a stone gargoyle jumped to life and moved aside to reveal a staircase, she smiled. “After you, Seraphina.” She ascended the stairs ahead of Albus, stopping when she reached a door. When he came to stand beside her, he opened the door. Seraphina didn't know what to make of the office. No, that wasn't quite right. She didn't know what to make of the objects in the office.

It was suddenly very clear to her that something was wrong. Something was very wrong here. As she entered the office proper, she turned to face Albus. “What did you mean when you said my parents ‘were’ Salazar and Rowena?” She had to know, had to ask yet again.

Albus gestured to a chair in front of a massive desk. “I think you might want to sit down, Seraphina. In fact, I think it might be for the best if you do.” The old wizard smiled warmly. Seraphina nodded and apprehensively took the seat offered to her, swallowing thickly.

“Your parents, Seraphina, have been gone for quite some time. Your mother passed sometime in the 11th century, and your father sometime after that. I am very sorry to have to be the bearer of this terrible news.” Albus did look terribly sorry, but what he was saying was simply impossible. There was no way her parents were dead. She had just seen them hours previously.

“No, that isn't possible. We're still in the 10th century. It's just the year 992. What you're saying is absolutely impossible.” 

Albus rose from his throne-like chair and moved to a bureau, pulling out a slim, square item that seemed to be composed of multiple pieces of parchment. When Albus came closer with it, he held it out to her with a smile, “This is what the Muggles call a calendar. This here is the month, June. This square is the date, the 5th. Above that, here is the day of the week, which is Tuesday. And this number here is the year, 1980.”

Seraphina jerked the calendar from Albus’ hands and looked at the year. 1980. How was this possible? How could 988 years have gone by without her notice? She looked back up at Albus. “It has been almost a millenia? Truly? What of my husband? Thatcher?” 

At the mention of him, Albus frowned. “I'm sorry, Seraphina. I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. But no one in the wizarding world, both now, nor in the past has any knowledge of your existence.”

Seraphina stared at the Headmaster of Hogwarts in disbelief. “No one knows of my existence? How could that be possible? I am on the tapestries, in the family ledgers. Both my mother's and father's.” 

Albus smiled sadly, but shook his head. “Not on any copy we have, I am afraid. I do, however, have copies of journals from the founders here in my office, as well as one of Eldric Gryffindor’s. No one has ever been able to open and read them, however. We assume that some sort of charm or blood magic has kept them sealed.” At the mention of Eldric, rage built up in Seraphina’s gut.

“Where are these journals? Particularly Eldric’s? I have a strong feeling he was untruthful in his story to my parents.” Albus nodded and rose from his seat yet again. He crossed his massive office to a set of shelves and pulled down an armful of leather-bound journals. When he returned, he placed them on the desk in front of her, Eldric’s on top. 

“Would you mind telling me what you know happened first? That way, I may help you if I can.”

Seraphina narrowed her ocher-colored eyes at the periwinkle ones trained at her. She didn't answer, but simply held up a finger at him, indicating to give her a moment. Then she took her wand, directed it at the journal in her lap--Eldric’s journal--and muttered a spell. The founders and their children had invented a certain locking charm for things. One that no one, save those few, could unlock. With a sharp intake of breath, everything written in the journal flowed through her wand and into her mind.

Just like a dam breaking, the truth flowed through her brain, causing tears to stream down her cheeks. When the spell was over, she slumped in the chair, her heart breaking into a million pieces. Sometime during the process, she had closed her eyes. When she opened them, there was a handkerchief being held in front of her face. She took it gratefully, wiping her eyes. “I would really love something to drink, if you have it. Perhaps some ale or wine?”

Albus rose and walked over to a cabinet, pulling a crystal decanter out as well as two crystal tumblers. He poured out the drink into the tumblers and brought them back over. After handing Seraphina her glass, Albus sat back down. He watched as she threw the tumbler back and downed the contents, the mead disappearing down her throat.

“When Eldric and I were still young children, our parents decided to arrange a marriage between the two of us, so that the school would remain in the hands of the founders, essentially. While the castle was still being built, I fell in love with a wizard that was working to build the castle. His name was Thatcher Black.

“I knew that Eldric was getting suspicious, knew that he had seen me sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet up with Thatcher. When I expressed my concerns to Thatcher, he suggested that we get married right away. I agreed. We left the castle that very night. His brother, Tiberius, worked in the ministry and brought the marriage certificate. We met at the house of a wizard who performed marriages. Thatcher paid him handsomely. He performed the ceremony and the soul bond.

“After the ceremony, we went to Thatcher’s cottage to consummate the marriage. It was a lovely day. One I shall remember for the rest of my days. The following evening we returned to the castle. Thatcher returned to work and I went to dine with my parents, Godric, Helga and Eldric. I could feel Eldric’s stare the entire time. My parents were irate, questioning where I had been. I had told them I had been down in Hogsmeade. I had wanted to see the progress made there as well.

“That had seemed to appease them. But Eldric was furious. After dinner, I had once again left to meet my husband. But when I arrived at our arranged meeting place, Eldric had beaten me there. He had Thatcher tied up. He was so very angry. He somehow knew what we had done. He led us down to the dungeons and separated us. 

“I was alone and scared in that dungeon. I could hear Thatcher screaming, the sound reverberating off of the stone walls.” Seraphina paused at this point to stem the flow of tears with the handkerchief. She held out her empty tumbler, and Albus obliged, filling it once more. She took a sip before continuing. “Then it was quiet. Some time later, Eldric came to me and he was covered in blood. Thatcher's blood. He tortured me. Endlessly. For hours. Never saying a word. Then he left me, curled on the floor.

“After Merlin only knows how long, I forced myself to my feet, and went in search of my love. I couldn't find him anywhere in the dungeons. My sudden strength flagged and I sank to the floor. The wizard had given us a soul calling spell to use if we ever got separated. The last thing I remember is focusing on Thatcher's face, reciting the spell and then blackness.”

Seraphina sighed deeply as what Eldric had done reappeared in her mind. She swallowed some more of the drink in her glass. “What is this?” She lifted the tumbler.   
“It is mulled mead, Seraphina.” Albus answered her, and then continued. “What it sounds like to me is that you entered into some sort of magical coma that kept you alive and preserved all these years.”

Seraphina nodded, her eyes dropping to stare at the liquid in the glass. “Yes, it would seem so. Because what I did not know of that night, is that, in his fit of jealous rage, Eldric murdered my beloved Thatcher. He tortured and murdered my husband, took him out and buried him in the forest. Then he returned to find me in my comatose state and assumed that I too was dead. That I had succumbed to my injuries. But he couldn't face our parents and tell them it was his fault.

“So instead, he hid me away in that alcove. Then he told our parents that Thatcher abducted me, murdered me and disposed of the body. Eldric painted himself the hero. He said that he had avenged me, had killed the...the mudblood for daring to harm me. And for that lie, my father was sent into a crazy spiral of blood supremacy. According to Eldric. I would have to read my father's journals to confirm that.”

Albus remained silent for a very long time, his elbows resting on his desk, fingers steepled together. When he finally spoke, Seraphina sat forward. “Salazar was definitely a blood supremacist. Now that I know your story, his logic is plausible. Entirely wrong, but not without adequate cause. Now, would you like to know my theory as to why you have finally awoken?”

Seraphina nodded her head vigorously. “Of course I would, Albus. Please.” She gestured for him to continue. 

He nodded once and leaned back in his seat. “With all that you have told me, I believe, the magic of the soul bond and the soul calling spell is what caused your coma. When you recited the spell, Thatcher's soul had already departed from this world. Now, if you believe, as I do, that we are reincarnated after we die, then my theory is entirely plausible.

“The reincarnation may happen right away, or it may not happen for nearly a millenia. But what I believe woke you, what finally pulled you from your coma, is that Thatcher’s soul was reborn into this world this very day.” As Albus watched Seraphina, waiting for her reaction, he tapped his forefingers together. One could practically see the gears turning in Seraphina’s head. 

“I do believe you are right, Albus. But how will we know if they are a wizard? Or if they are even in Britain?” She was genuinely confused by this concept.

Albus chuckled softly as he nodded, “Valid questions. But as you were bound by magic, only a wizard or witch could retain that soul. As for where this new witch or wizard resides, would you mind if I try something?” 

Seraphina looked at the wizard with her head tilted. “What are you going to try, Albus?”

“Not to worry, my dear, it won’t harm you.” He stood and moved around his desk. Removing his wand from his robes, he pointed the tip at her chest and said loudly, “Locus est anima mea.” A glowing pink light entered her chest, and within moments, a map shot up in the air. A beam of light narrowed in on a specific county--Wiltshire.

Albus removed his wand and smiled, “Well now, we have our answer. And I think I know just how to help you, my dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, so like I said, chock full, right? I hope you enjoyed. Just an FYI, by using Google Translate, which could be totally wrong, but “Locus est anima mea” is supposed to mean locate my soul. In which of course, it locates the other half of Seraphina's soul. Since she and Thatcher's souls were bound together. Thank you for reading! Please review!
> 
> XoXo,  
> Elle.


	4. Goodbye, Albus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know some of you have been asking and asking, how Seraphina was going to become Hermione. Well, I present to you, THE EXPLANATION! I won't bore you with a long, drawn out A/N. I hope you enjoy! Please review!!
> 
> Disclaimer: JK rules all! I own nothing!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Seraphina looked at Albus, completely confused. “What do you mean, help me?” 

The old wizard chuckled as he looked at the still glowing map. “Well, my dear, I thought that should be obvious now. Your husband, soulmate, other half was just reborn. An infant again. You are seventeen. Do you really intend to wait seventeen years for this entirely new person to grow up? And for them to not know who you are?”

Seraphina looked at Albus, growing even more confused as he talked. She supposed he had a point. But what was there that she could do about it? Her question must have been clear on her face because Albus answered her with a mischievous grin. “I have an excellent potions master under my employ. We shall go and see what he has in his stores. He's away for the summer, so we won't have to deal with his brooding.” He chuckled quietly as he stood from his desk.

She followed his lead, standing from her chair, straightening her robes. “Are all of the professors gone for the summer?” The castle must be lonely if that were true. She watched the back of Albus’ head, the silvery strands of hair twinkling in the candlelight as he nodded. 

“Mostly, yes. Sybill, our Divination professor, is still here. But that is because this is quite literally the only home she has had for the last few years. She doesn't leave her tower much. Prefers the company of the stars.”

This Sybill sounded awful, and Seraphina had always been skeptical of the art of Divination. That was not likely to change. As they descended the grand staircase, heading for the dungeons again, Seraphina paid careful attention to the paintings. Some of them were following the pair, whispering about who the woman with Dumbledore was.

Once down in the dungeons again, Albus turned a corner, leading her into a classroom lined with desks. A large desk was up front with a large cauldron. The whole place had an eerie feeling to it--the shelving behind the desk held jars of things floating in fluids. But they weren’t bound for the desk. They were headed for the set of double doors to the side that Seraphina had almost missed.

With a tap of his wand, Albus opened the doors. As Seraphina looked over his shoulder, she saw more shelving. This time, it was filled with phial upon phial of potions; each phial had its own label, defining what potion was inside. Albus began looking through each and every one, quietly mumbling to himself as he did so. Seraphina just stood out of the way, letting the elderly wizard do his work.

After what felt like a lifetime, Albus exclaimed in excitement, “Aha! I do believe we have struck gold!” Seraphina tilted her head as she gazed at the wizard, confusion swamping her at his phrasing. He caught a glimpse of her look of utter confusion and smiled, “Sorry, muggle saying.” She nodded, her eyes returning to the phial he held in his hand. “And just what is in that phial, Albus?”

“Well, my dear, this is a potion of my potion master’s own making. A potion that allows the drinker, should the need arise, to reverse their age. To whatever age is desired.” The information began to sink into Seraphina’s mind, the implications of what this could mean shaping her decisions. “Is it safe?”

“I would trust Severus and any potion he makes, with my life, Seraphina. I assure you, this potion is entirely safe.” 

The witch nodded, taking a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the transparent purple liquid. “Very well. What would be our next step?” 

Albus smiled and adjusted his spectacles, “Why don’t we head back to my office? Or maybe to the kitchens? Are you hungry?”

Seraphina shook her head, she couldn’t fathom trying to eat right now. “No, thank you, I would like to go back to your office and continue making our plans.” Albus nodded, waving his wand to close up everything. As he swept by her, he gave her a smile. He understood. This could not be easy for her, to have awoken in such a dramatically changed world to such devastation. Were he in her shoes, he would want this to be resolved as fast as possible as well.

Once they were back in his office, he placed the phial on the desk, in a holder away from the danger of being broken. “Our next step--actually, our first step--would be to memory charm you. For your other half will not know of your shared past. It would be unfair to try and force upon them your memories of that time.” 

Seraphina nodded in agreement. “That is true enough. From there, I would drink the potion. As you said, it would reverse my age to that which I desired. With my beloved having just been born, I would assume, I will be the same? An infant?”

Albus heaved a sigh and nodded, “Yes, I do believe that would be for the best. Though, I do believe that it should be around the same time of your actual birthday. Do you remember when that was?” 

Seraphina nodded with a smile, “September 19th.” 

Albus twisted his mouth in thought. “That would have your birthday in September of last year, 1979. You would be roughly nine months old. You will have to remember that when you drink the potion. I will find a suitable family for you to be placed with. However, I do believe that it would be best for that family to be a muggle family.”

At that suggestion, Seraphina gave him a positively shocked look. “Why ever would you place me with a muggle family?” 

Albus chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “Because, my dear, it would be easier to charm a muggle family than to explain your existence to a wizarding family.” 

She frowned, chewing on her bottom lip. “I suppose you are right. Then I would have a muggle upbringing, no knowledge of my past life, no knowledge of my wizarding heritage? Until I reach age 11 and receive my letter?”

Albus dipped his head in acknowledgement, “Yes, that would be about right, my dear.” Seraphina deflated in her chair. This was not how she had expected their plan to go, but she could see the logic behind it. It didn’t, however, mean that she had to like it. Though, she supposed, she wouldn’t remember it for too much longer. “How long will it take you to find a family?” 

She looked up at Albus to see his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Hogwarts actually keeps a list of muggle families that are infertile and looking to adopt children. That way, if we have an orphaned child that would be otherwise unsafe in the wizarding world, we can isolate them safely in the muggle world.”

That surprised Seraphina, but she nodded, “Very well. I suppose I will leave the choosing to you, then. I am ready for the memory charm.” She reached over and grabbed the phial with the potion, tilting it from side to side, watching the contents move in the light. She turned around in the office, her eyes landing on a chaise lounge in the corner and began to walk toward it. It would be best to be on something soft for the transformation. After all, she was going from an adult body to that of an infant.

“Thank you for all of your help. Goodbye, Albus. See you again in eleven years.” 

She never looked back at the old man. She heard a whispered, “Obliviate.” Then she removed the stopper from the phial, made herself comfortable on the chaise, and emptied the contents into her mouth. As the effects started to take place, her surroundings started to grow around her.

XxX

Dumbledore looked down at the infant with the light dusting of curly brown hair and smiled. In her infancy, Seraphina looked just like her mother. Albus lifted the infant in his arms, running a finger along her cheek, smiling when she turned towards him, her mouth open. “Dilly.” Albus called. After a moment, a pop sounded, a kitchen elf appearing in front of him. 

“Yes, Professor?”   
He smiled at her gently, “Could you please prepare me a bottle? I know it is not something we normally have here. But I am confident in your abilities to procure what I shall need. I shall only need it this once.” 

The elf bowed deeply, “Yes sir, Professor. Right away!”

As the elf disappeared, Albus returned to his desk, holding the tiny infant, to open the files on muggle born families. The first family at the front of the files was the Granger family. The couple, who were both muggle dentists; had both tried for years to have a child of their own. They had wasted countless money on in vitro fertilization treatments, and most recently, had started to look into adoption. Now would be the perfect time for Hugo and Jean Granger to have their dreams come true.

With a pop, Dilly reappeared with a bottle, handing it over to Albus, “There you are Professor. Do you need anything else?” 

“No, thank you, Dilly. That will be all.” He lifted the nipple to Seraphina’s mouth and watched as she latched on, sucking eagerly at the milk that was supplied to her. “After this, little one, we are going to meet your new family.” He made sure to burp the little one halfway through the bottle, to ensure he didn’t cause any stomach aches. Once she had finished the bottle, he transfigured a sheet of parchment into a soft blanket, wrapped the infant in it and stood.

Being headmaster had its advantages--on a spin of his heel, he disapparated free of the school to the address he had memorized long ago. Standing in front of the Grangers’ house, he smiled up at the front of the modest two story. He quickly transfigured his features, and hid his wand by his robes as he walked forward and he knocked on the door. He stepped back a couple of steps, to be modest, and waited. He didn’t take into account that it was a Tuesday, and the Grangers were likely to be working. But as luck would have it, Jean Granger answered the door.

“Hello, Mrs. Granger? My name is Brian Wesley. I am from the Little Wings adoption agency. We have found a match for you and your husband. A daughter. I have her here, as well as the paperwork. All you need to do is sign and she is all yours.” The shock on the muggle woman’s face was almost laughable. Granted, this wasn’t how muggle adoption agencies actually worked. But as he would charm her memories anyway, it was something Albus wouldn’t have to worry about.

“Oh, yes! Please, come in. I need to call my husband. He is working today. But he can come right home.” She stepped back, into her house, her eyes on the tiny sleeping bundle in his arms. Albus followed through after her. “The sitting room is right through here, Mr. Wesley. If you’ll just follow me.”

Once in the sitting room, Albus took a seat in a fluffy armchair. Jean Granger left for what he assumed was the kitchen to call her husband. While she was gone, he quickly transfigured an old newspaper into the adoption documents he would need. In a few minutes time, Jean came back, a smile in place. “My husband, Hugo, should be here within fifteen minutes. Can I, uhm, may I see her?”

Albus simply nodded and smiled, leaning in and placing Seraphina in Jean’s arms gently. The tears forming in her eyes were worth it all. Albus could have placed Seraphina with a wizarding family easily enough, though he wasn’t lying--it would have been more difficult to describe where she had come from. But the look on this woman’s face now was worth taking the risk of placing her here.

“Does she have a name?” 

Albus had thought about this, keeping her name would be too obvious. Somewhere, along the lines of history, her name would have been recorded at some point. It would be easy for someone to put two and two together, so he shook his head. “No, Mrs. Granger, that will be for you and your husband to decide.”

Jean’s eyes never left the baby in her arms and Albus was assured once again that this was the right choice. A door opened somewhere in the house. “Jean, honey?” 

Jean looked up quickly with a smile, “Oh! Hugo, darling! We’re in the sitting room!” Her eyes immediately returned to the baby girl in her arms. When Mr. Granger appeared in the sitting room, his eyes moved around the room, taking in the transfigured Albus, then his wife, holding the baby.

“I came as soon as you called. Is this real? We’re finally going to have a baby of our own?” 

Albus cleared his throat, “Yes sir, Mr. Granger. I am Brian Wesley, from Little Wings Adoption Agency. This is all very real. I have the documents you need to sign right here. All you and Mrs. Granger need to do is chose a name for your daughter, fill it in on the forms and sign on the designated lines.” Mr. Granger looked back at his wife, at the sheer happiness on her face, and grinned himself.

“Dear, what should we name her?” His hand reached out to touch the little cheek of the infant. 

“What about Hermione? After our favorite Shakespeare play?” 

“That is perfect. And Jean, after the most beautiful woman in my life.” 

Jean’s tears ran down her face this time, “Hermione Jean Granger it is, then.” Her husband pulled a muggle pen from his shirt pocket, filling in the name on its designated slot. The he turned the nub down to his own line and added his signature. He then took the infant from his wife, handed her the ballpoint pen, and watched her sign.

Albus smiled throughout the whole proceedings, watching as the newfound family bonded. When it was his turn to sign the forms, he took the pen from the dentist, and signed on his own dotted line. “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, that is all I need from you two. I hope that you enjoy life as a family of three now. I’ll see myself out. Have a good evening.” 

His last two sentences fell on all but deaf ears as he let himself out of their house. He made his way around to the window that looked into the sitting room. He pulled his wand free and tampered with the memories of the two adults in the rooms, just a little, to make sure that his disguise had stuck. To make it all seem that it had happened the legal muggle way.

After a few more minutes of watching the newfound family, Albus removed his transfigured disguise and walked a few blocks away. Once in a secluded corner, he disapparated back to the school, treating himself to a Firewhiskey in his office.

XxX

“Narcissa, dear, please come and lie down. Draco is fine. For Merlin’s sake, his bassinet is in the corner of the room. If he cries you will be at his side in a heartbeat.” Lucius moved behind his wife, rubbing her shoulders gently as he kissed her temple. She had had a rather tumultuous birth. Leave it to a Malfoy to make a stubborn entrance into this world. “It’s not that, Lucius. I just can’t stop looking at him. He’s just so perfect.”

“Except for his bald head.” Lucius mumbled. 

Narcissa playfully smacked him on the chest, “He is not bald, Lucius. His hair is just so pale you can’t see it unless you look closely enough. Which you’d know if you had held him at least once.” 

Lucius gave her an incredulous look, “He’s just so, so small, Cissa. What if I break him?” 

Narcissa had to choke back a laugh, not wanting to wake her son. “Are you joking? Did you see what he had to go through to gain entrance into this world, Lucius? He is hardly breakable. Next time he wakes, you are going to hold him. And that is the last of it.”

Her husband had no choice but to agree. “Yes, Cissa.” He finally managed to pull his wife away from the bassinet and bring her to the bed. She had to be exhausted--where she had found the energy after Draco had finally made his entrance, he hadn’t a clue. However, he was happy that she was no longer screaming and terrified. Those hours had been the worst of his entire existence. The end result had been worth it, though. Once he had settled his wife in bed and had her cuddled up next to him again, he let his mind wander to the mark on his left forearm. What was he going to do about it? Not just for himself, but for his family? The Dark Lord had been gaining power even more steadily. And Lucius was afraid of what that power would lead to.

An hour or so later, Draco began to make some whimpering noises and Narcissa didn’t stir one bit. Her exhaustion had taken hold finally. He debated on whether to rouse her, but instead, he rose. As he walked over to the bassinet, he looked down at the squirming newborn. “What could be the problem, Draco? I know you’re fed.” As the baby continued to squirm, Lucius sighed. “You’re really going to make me pick you up aren’t you?” After a couple of grumbles, he bent over and carefully scooped the tiny little boy up into his arms, careful to mind his head as Narcissa had told him.

The first thing he did was inspect his head, and found that his wife, as usual, was right--their son did have hair. “Life lesson number one, son. Your mother is always, always right.” He moved to the rocker that had been moved into their room and sat down. For the next several hours, he sat and rocked, holding his son as Narcissa slept on, telling his son stories of his mother and how she was the best thing to ever happen to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Awwwww, Lucius does have a soft side! And he actually held Draco as a baby! I hope you enjoyed it! Please, review! I love you, my Soulies!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	5. Growing Pains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I originally thought that this chapter was just going to be filler, but what do they say about best laid plans and all that? Well, I didn't have any actual plans for this chapter...I never do...but it actually has some meat relevant to the story. There are possibly a couple of plot holes which I will explain at the end. No need to spoil anything here.
> 
> Usual disclaimer, I own nothing. Reviews are my gold at the end of my rainbow!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

May 1984

“Hermione, honey! It’s time for breakfast!” Jean Granger called from the kitchen. A little four-year-old Hermione bounced in, a book in her hand. The child was smart; she could read most of the Dr. Seuss books and she read them daily. She never tired of them and they were her favorites. But she also had some small chapter books that she read as well.

Hermione stood up on her tiptoes and placed the book on the tabletop, then climbed into her chair. Her booster seat had been removed just a few months ago, when she had stated that she no longer needed it. Hugo had just chuckled at his daughter. There was never any telling what would come out of the wild-haired girl’s mouth.

Her imagination knew no bounds—her tales were woven with twists and turns, the endings always unexpected. Today would probably be no different. Hugo smiled at his daughter as she got settled, “Good morning, Caterpillar. What book are we reading today?”

When Hermione was settled, she smiled and held up her book with a wide grin. “Horton Hears A Who, Daddy!” Hugo had to smile, and he began to quote it, “Even though you can’t hear them…” Hermione quickly joined in with a smile. “All, a person is a person, no matter how small.” Jean walked over to place the bowl of porridge, a plate of fresh fruit and a piece of toast in front of Hermione.. When Hermione ignored the meal, Jean shook her head and scolded her daughter, “Hermione, put the book away and eat. We don’t want to be late.”

Jean turned away to prepare glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice for her daughter and husband. Hugo, she knew, was buried behind the paper, setting a bad example for their daughter. So, in true motherly fashion, she scolded him as well while she was squeezing. “Hugo, please put away the paper and eat your breakfast as well.” Finally finished with the juice, she lifted the glasses and turned, only to stop in shock. The glasses fell from her hands, shattering on the floor, juice splashing her feet and the floors.

Hermione was eating her breakfast, but she had not put her book away. Her book was floating in front of her, around six inches off of the table, a page turning of its own volition. Jean had no idea what to make of the sight before her, but she knew that she was getting light-headed. “Hugo...Hu…” Between one blink and the next, Jean joined the shattered glasses and spilled juice on the floor.

XxX

 

May 1984

“Draco! You’re flying too high!” Narcissa shrieked. 

Lucius rolled his eyes at his wife. “Cissa, the boy is on a toy broom. He is two feet from the ground. He is fine. He will have to learn to roll with the fall, anyway. One day he will play Quidditch. He needs to learn now.” 

Narcissa glared at her husband and stalked across the rolling grounds after their son.

Draco giggled as he tried to fly away from his mother. Narcissa chased after him, her hands outstretched towards the boy. Lucius just shook his head. In his opinion, his wife coddled the boy. She needed to loosen the apron strings a little bit, let Draco fall every once in awhile. 

Annd fall he did. Just as Draco went to swerve to miss his mother’s grasp, he lost control of the toy broom and went tumbling over the front of the broom. His face went first into the grass and Lucius finally left his post near the door of the Manor. When he arrived at the scene of the injury, he could see blood on his son’s pale skin.

Draco’s nose had found a rock among the grass, and Narcissa was a blubbering mess. “Oh, Draco, my poor darling boy. Mummy will fix it right up.” Lucius watched as his wife drew her wand and efficiently healed what was nothing more than a small scratch on his son’s nose. Draco was only sniffling, no tears were even visible in his grey eyes.

Lucius’ chest swelled with pride at his son’s reaction to falling off of his broom. In just a couple more years, he would be ready for a real broom. He was bound to be a seeker, both Lucius and Narcissa were built slim and wiry. Just the way a seeker needed to be. “Daddy?” Lucius was pulled from his inner monologue at the tug on his robes.

“Yes, Draco?”

“Can you take me for a ride on your broom?” Draco adopted his pleading look, the one that got him his way with his mother. It rarely worked on Lucius—in fact, the only time it did was when Draco wanted to go flying. 

“Why don’t you go and get my broom then? We’ll have a short fly around before dinner.”

Draco took off running for the manor and Narcissa glared up at her husband, “You’re going to take him flying after that? He could have broken his neck!” 

Lucius shook his head with a grin, “Narcissa! The boy was two feet from the ground, he got a scratch on the nose. You are acting as if he broke his nose. The boy is going to get bumps, bruises and scars. Stop mollycoddling him.”

Lucius watched as his son came running back with his broom, a wide smile on his face. “Now, why don’t you go and make sure the elves have started preparing our dinner? There’s my boy! You ready?” 

“Yes, Daddy!” The elder Malfoy male mounted his broom and picked up his heir. 

“Wave to Mummy, Draco.” The little boy waved as Lucius kicked off from the ground, the broom rising into the sky hundreds of feet.

XxX

October 1988

Years had passed since the Horton Hears A Who-ccident. Any manifestations of Hermione’s magic were no longer a surprise to the Granger household. However, it was getting increasingly difficult to explain away the magic outside the walls of their home. It had gotten to the point where they had considered whether Jean should take some time off and homeschool Hermione.

Today, they were walking down the sidewalk in London, passing a bookstore when Hermione stopped dead. She immediately backtracked her steps and opened the door to the store, walking inside. Jean laughed to herself and followed her precocious daughter inside. When she found Hermione, she was in the New Releases sections, holding a book titled Matilda by Roald Dahl. Hermione was reading the inside of the book jacket with wide, damp eyes.

“Hermione, sweetheart, is everything okay?” Jean ran her hand down her daughter's unruly curls, watching as she turned her tear-filled eyes up to look at her mother. 

“Mummy, it’s me.” Jean furrowed her brow and looked at the book her daughter was holding in her hands. She picked up a copy of her own, opening the cover to read the inner jacket.

“Matilda’s parents have called her some terrible things. The truth is, she’s a genius and they’re the stupid ones. Matilda is determined to get her own back back and soon discovers she has a very special power.”

Jean knew that Hermione wasn’t referring to the parents bit; she and Hugo treated Hermione like a princess. She was the most spoiled child around. She was referring to the special powers. So Jean smiled and put the book back. “Do you want the book, sweetheart?” Hermione nodded, her nose already buried in the book.

Jean laid her hands on her daughter's shoulders, leading her to the checkout counter. The clerk behind the counter smiled at the mother and daughter pair, pulled a copy of Matilda from under the cabinet and scanned it. “Your daughter isn’t the first to come in and immediately lose herself in the book.” 

Jean slid over her credit card with a smile and nodded, “My little Hermione is quite the avid reader.” She didn’t tack on that the child felt a personal connection to the book.

As they left the store, Jean kept a hold on Hermione, steering her around people and items on the sidewalk. Jean’s mind was running a million miles a minute. She should have bought her own copy of the book to read. She might still do so—however, knowing her daughter, she would be done with it this evening, tomorrow at the latest. Hermione was special, just like the book claimed Matilda was—the only question was, just how special?

XxX

October 1988

Draco was sitting in the library in the Manor, reading some old wizarding novel he found within the multiple stacks. It amazed him how far some writers would go to sell a story. This novel spoke of the founders of Hogwarts; some of it had been proven true. For instance, Godric and Helga being married and having a son named Eldric. But from there, to Draco, it was pure shite.

There was no way that Salazar and Rowena would ever have shagged, much less their entanglement resulting in a child being born. Of course, Rowena was better than Helga. The supposed daughter of Salazar and Rowena, however, was named Seraphina. The story wound a tale of a marriage contract and forbidden love. Draco became bored about halfway through the book, the dull work making him sleepy.

He curled up in the chair he had been reading in, tucking his nose against the back cushion as his eyes closed. Before long, he was in a deep sleep, sucked into a dream about that stupid book.

He was holding his wand above his head. Levitating a stone the size of his head, he placed the stone on top of its brother. He sealed it to its neighboring stones with a spell. He felt eyes upon him and turned, catching a pair of honey-colored irises gazing at him from one of the grand staircases.

It was Seraphina, the daughter of two of the Founders. She had been watching him for a few weeks now. But this was definitely the most blatant staring she had done as of yet. He gave her a smile, but returned to work.

Several weeks went by in the dream and he had been meeting Seraphina in private. He had been slowly falling for her and she for him. Things were going well, but they would have to be careful as she was betrothed to Eldric.

Then he had the idea to run away and get married to Seraphina. They had pulled it off, had come back to the castle and were going to meet up again, but then Eldric had ambushed him and tied him up.

In the dream, Eldric was torturing him, and all he could think about was getting back to Seraphina, screaming her name, “SERAPHINA!”

“Draco! DRACO!” He had been thrashing in the chair, dreaming so deeply that he hadn’t heard his mother trying to wake him. He shot up in the chair, panting heavily, wiping sweat from his brow. “Were you having a bad dream, love?” He nodded as he tried to catch his breath. “It’s time for dinner, darling. Be in the dining room in five minutes, love.” As his mother left him alone, young Draco tossed the book away from him and tried to calm his racing heart.

XxX

Sometime before June 1980

In his brother’s dark and dusty pub, Albus sat with Sybill Trelawney, interviewing her for the Divination position. He didn’t hold out much hope for her; the rumors surrounding the young woman insinuated that she had taken to telling false prophecies.

Even now, as he sat across from the woman, with her large, beetle-like glasses, wild hair and multiple shawls, Albus was skeptical. She had already sprouted a prophecy about the death of both his brother and himself. Now she was in the middle of prophesying that Albus was going to meet the love of his life by the next full moon. But before she could finish, her eyes rolled back in her head and the cadence and timbre of her voice changed.

The first half of her prophecy caused Albus to sit straighter in his chair. 

She spoke of a child, born at the end of July, that would vanquish Voldemort. This had been the break they had been waiting for—he couldn’t wait to tell the Order. A movement caught at the corner of his eye. Albus saw Severus Snape in a dark corner. His greasy hair and dark eyes narrowed when he heard the prophecy and he darted from the door.

Sybill Trelawney was now in mortal danger and the only way to protect her now was to hire her as the Divination professor. But her prophecy was not over:

“A lost love is returned...the forgotten daughter awakens and she will free her dragon…  
Her intelligence will go unmatched and her allegiance means victory…  
But for the Light or for the Dark?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, to address some plot holes...mostly it is in reference to the last section of this chapter. When Trelawney made her prophecy, it was before Draco was born, before Harry was born, before Seraphina/Hermione was awakened. Also, in the earlier chapter/s where Dumbledore helped Seraphina/Hermione he didn't realize that she was the “forgotten daughter”. I am hoping to remedy that in a later chapter. So never fear. I hope you liked the chapter!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	6. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my Soulies! I was so amazed this week! I was featured on one Facebook group, Wordsmiths & Betas with this story, and was recommended by a blog on Tumblr. I can't begin to say how excited and ecstatic that made me. To have someone like this story so much that they would recommend this story. So, to Brooke with W&B and dramioneasks on Tumblr, thank you both so much from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> As always, thank you so very much to Courtney for your constant support, feedback and ideas for the story you dreamt up and allow me to convey. I hope you continue to enjoy what I dream up. To Chelsey for also being a sounding board when I need it. To the girls over at Strictly Dramione that take time to encourage everyone. And most of all, to my amazing beta Frogster, who recently posted her own Dramione one shot that is amazing! Go give it a read!
> 
> Now, this is a bit of another filler chapter, but I promise, after this, things will be picking up. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter with the same enthusiasm our Hermione shows in it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK is Queen!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

September 1990

Hermione had been home-schooled for several years now. Her manifestations of magic made it hard for her to remain in a public school, but she was also thoroughly bullied for her shy nature and her intelligence. So Jean sat at the table with her brilliant daughter, doing schoolwork that was years beyond what any eleven year old should be able to do.

It amazed Jean every day. Never in her wildest dreams, when she and Hugo had adopted their daughter, had she imagined that they would be raising a genius. When the knock sounded on the door, Jean rose from her seat to answer the door, leaving Hermione to her work.

At the front door, Jean smoothed her hair, checked her blouse and then the peep hole. On the other side was a severe-looking woman, wearing glasses and what looked to be dark green robes of some sort. Jean pulled the door open, plastering a smile on her face. “Hello, may I help you?”

“Yes, I am Minerva McGonagall. I am here to speak with your daughter, Hermione Jean Granger. Yourself as well, Mrs. Granger, and your husband if you wish. I am here to offer Hermione a chance to further her education at a very special school.” Jean looked at the strange woman standing in her doorway.

“Is it necessary for Hugo to be present? He had several large extractions lined up for today and I would hate to pull him away from those.” 

Mrs. McGonagall shook her head with a thin smile. “No, Mrs. Granger, I will explain everything to you. I also have a letter here,” She pulled a creamy envelope from a hidden pocket, holding it up. It had Hermione’s name and address on it. “That will help as well. Shall we have some tea?”

Jean Granger jumped into action and all but ran into the kitchen to make a pot of tea and gather Hermione. “Hermione, dear, could you put away your school things for a moment? There’s someone here that would like to speak with us.” 

Her daughter looked up at her with a smile. “Who is it, Mummy?”

“A woman named Mrs. McGonagall. She’s from a special school for especially gifted children like yourself.” Jean hoped she wasn’t feeding her daughter a lie. As the kettle started to whistle, Jean lifted it from the stove. She set it on the tray, lifting it from the table and moving to the sitting room. She heard her daughter following behind her, could practically feel the wheels turning in her brilliant mind.

Once in the same sitting room where they had signed the finalized adoption papers, Jean served the tea and sat on the couch next to her daughter. “Okay, Mrs. McGonagall. We are ready to hear what you have to say.” The woman took a sip from the teacup, before beginning to speak.

“I am Professor McGonagall. First, I would like for Hermione to read this letter.” She leaned forward and handed the letter from earlier. Hermione all but snatched the envelope from her hand, opening it up quickly and pulling what looked like parchment from the inside. Hermione began to read the first page in silence, Jean looking over her shoulder.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,  
International Confed. of Wizards)

 

Dear Ms. Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

 

Jean sat stunned, blinking at the letter. She looked up at the severe woman sitting across from them. “You’re saying my daughter is a witch? That she isn’t just some, some—goodness, it sounds so wrong—freak of nature?” Hermione had moved to the next page, her eyes flying across the page once again. Jean glanced back down to read what seemed to be a school supplies list.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil’s clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set of glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions

“Yes, Mrs. Granger, your daughter is a witch. The random, unusual, and unexplainable things that your daughter can do are magic. At Hogwarts, we hone their skills, teach them how to control their magic and live their lives happily and free from fear of rejection.”

Jean looked over at Hermione, who was now holding what looked like a train ticket. “Where would we buy all of this stuff? We can’t possibly purchase all of this in London.” 

She looked back up at Professor McGonagall now, so many questions burning in her mind. “No, certainly not. There is a place hidden within your London, called Diagon Alley, where witches and wizards go to buy everything they need for school.”

Jean nodded, smoothing down her daughter's hair. It surprised her that Hermione was silent through all of this. She was always the one to question any and everything, the one who needed all of the answers. “Hermione, sweetheart, do you have any questions for the professor?” For the first time in her life, Hermione looked up at her mother with a look of dazed wonderment in her eyes.

“Mummy, can I go? Can I really go? Please.” 

Anyone who knew the Grangers knew that they could deny their little girl nothing. “We will talk to Daddy about it, sweetheart, but I don’t see why not.” Jean dropped a kiss on her daughter's head before turning her eyes back to the professor. “How and when would we be able to go to this Diagon Alley to get her school things?”

“An official from the Ministry of Magic will come and escort you all to the Alley. They will take you to Gringotts Bank to exchange your muggle money for wizarding money. Then they will escort you to the correct shops to buy all supplies needed.” 

Jean tilted her head at the woman. “Muggle money?” 

Professor McGonagall laughed quietly, “I’m sorry, non-magic people. That is how we refer to yourself and the rest of the non-magical population.”

“What does this mean, ‘we await your owl’?” Hermione spoke up finally, her eyes scanning her letter once again.   
McGonagall gave one of her rare smiles, “That is one of the ways we communicate, dear. Owl post. Instead of using a postal service, a postman or woman, delivering your mail, owls do.”

“But we don’t have an owl, how would we owl you? How would the owl know where to go? How would the owl find you? Could the owl go to the United States to deliver a letter?” 

Jean gave the professor an apologetic look, and shushed her daughter. “Hermione, I’m sure those are answers you shall get in time.”

The strict looking old woman just nodded with a smile. “Yes, dear, you shall get those answers all in due time.” Opening a pocket in her robes, McGonagall pulled out a small owl. “As for now, to send your answer back to the school, you may borrow this owl.”

The little owl with large yellow eyes blinked at Hermione, tilting its head from side to side. It gave a quiet hoot before hopping from McGonagall’s hand, taking flight to land on Hermione’s shoulder. The bird nuzzled her hair with another quiet sound. Hermione smiled and stroked its soft, downy feathers. “Does it have a name?”

This little girl could well be the brightest witch of the age, McGonagall thought to herself. “She does not, but you could name her if you’d like. I, however, must be going. I have other letters to deliver to other muggleborns, like yourself. I shall hope to see you at the start of term, Miss Granger. Have a good day.”

Jean watched as Professor McGonagall let herself out, then glanced down at her daughter who was reading over her letter yet again. She was sure that those two pieces of parchment were going to be worn soft by Hermione’s hands over the next few days. “Can we call Daddy?” Hermione looked up at her mother, eyes hopeful.

Jean looked at the grandfather clock on the wall. The woman had stayed longer than she had thought, Hugo should be on his way home. “He’ll be home in a few minutes, sweetheart. I promise we will talk to him first thing. Before I cook dinner.”

Those honey-colored eyes, so full of hope and wonder, returned to the parchment in her hands, thumbs rubbing along the edges. Hermione had been right about the Matilda book a few years ago. She was like Matilda, she was a very special little girl.

A few minutes later, Jean heard the garage door trundle up and smiled as Hermione started to fidget in excitement. “He’s home, Mummy!” 

Jean nodded, “Yes he is, sweetheart.” 

The outer door in the kitchen opened and Hugo called out as he entered, “Jean, darling? Caterpillar?”

Usually, they were in the kitchen when he arrived home. “We’re in the sitting room, honey. We have something we want to talk to you about, if you’d come and join us, please.” She heard him deposit his briefcase, hang his coat and hat, and his footsteps head in their direction.

Hermione was practically bouncing in her spot, once her father sat down in his armchair, she was out of her seat, shoving the letter under his nose. He took it from her hands and read over it, his eyes getting wider the further he read. “Where did this come from?”

“One of the professors from the school delivered it personally. She explained everything. Hugo, it makes so much sense, dear. The things Hermione can do. At this school she can learn how to develop it, control it much better.” Jean paused to take a breath, only to be interrupted by her daughter.

“Daddy, can I go? Please, can I go? Pretty please? Professor McGonagall even let me borrow this owl to send my reply back. Just like a real witch!” She pointed at the tiny owl still perched on her shoulder. Hugo jerked in surprise, he hadn’t even noticed the owl sitting on his daughter's shoulder.

“What in the bl-blimey…uh...Where would we get these supplies, Jean?” 

Hermione interrupted once again, “Diagon Alley. A Ministry of Magic official would escort us there and help us! Daddy, please say yes! I’ll love you forever and ever and ever!”

Hugo looked over the big, round, pleading eyes of his daughter to his wife. “Jean?” She knew what he was asking, did she think that this school was legitimate and safe. 

Jean nodded, “You would have immediately trusted the woman, Hugo. She was definitely a no-nonsense professor. Reminded me a lot of Professor Howard at dental school.”

Hugo nodded, returning his gaze to his daughter. “Very well. Hermione, looks like you’re going to Hogwarts.” The loud shriek that echoed around the Granger house was probably heard throughout the whole neighborhood.

Hermione raced off to pen a reply to Professor McGonagall, using a ribbon to tie it to the little owls leg. The letter was short, simple and all capital letters.

DADDY SAID I CAN COME TO HOGWARTS!  
Hermione Granger.

And with that, she stepped out into her backyard, held the tiny owl in her open palm and smiled, “Can you take this to Professor McGonagall?” With a quiet hoot, the owl took off, letter dangling from his leg.

XxX

June 1991

Draco was flying around the grounds of the manner on his broom, enjoying the freedom. His mother had been forcing him to spend an increasing amount of time with Pansy Parkinson. No doubt she hoping they would fall in love and get married when they grew up. The thought alone made Draco want to gag.

He was only ten for Merlin’s sake, would be eleven in three days’ time. He was not interested in girls, he was interested in Quidditch and wizard comics. He still had those weird dreams about that stupid book he’d tried to read a few years ago.

“DRACO! COME INSIDE!” His father yelled from the back of the Manor, Draco flew towards the house, wondering what he had done now. He landed swiftly, propping his broom up by the door and walking into the Manor. He immediately headed for his father’s office, knowing that was where he was being summoned.

When he walked into the room, his father pointed at the corner of the desk. There in an envelope, addressed to him, was his letter to Hogwarts. He was surprised his mother wasn’t present. She was usually lazing about wherever his father was. “Where is mum?”

“She went out shopping. She’ll be back shortly. Which is all for the better, because I wanted to talk to you about something. Now, you have another option, Draco. We could pay to send you to Durmstrang. They have a history of producing some of the best wizards around. The headmaster is an old acquaintance of mine. Or you could go to Hogwarts like your mother and I.”

Draco sat on one of the old-fashioned settees, looking into the flames of the fire in the fireplace. He had never imagined that his father would give him a choice between Hogwarts and Durmstrang. But there was something inside of him, deep down inside of him, that was pulling him in the direction of Hogwarts.

“I want to go to Hogwarts, like you and Mum did. Durmstrang is farther away, too. I don’t think that Mum would like that too much. And I just…” He trailed off, not sure what he was about to say, frowning slightly. 

“Just what, son?” Lucius asked.

“I just feel like something important is waiting for me at Hogwarts. If that makes any sense at all.” Draco ran his hand across his slicked back hair, his eyes never leaving the fire. 

“Hogwarts it is, then. Best send in your reply now, son.”

Draco stood, walking to his father’s desk, he picked up a blank sheet of parchment and a quill. He promptly wrote a proper reply.

Dear Professor McGonagall and Hogwarts Staff,

I am pleased to have been accepted by your prestigious school. I am writing to inform you of my decision to attend your wonderful establishment. Thank you for the honor.

Sincerely,

Draco Lucius Malfoy

Then, with a smile to his father, set off for the family owlery, to mail off his letter. 

His life was never going to be the same, he just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, as I said, filler. I love how much excitement Hermione shows to finally find a place she will belong. I also love the dynamic between her erratic response and Draco's composed one. Again, I hope y'all enjoyed this as much as I did. Please, please, please review. They are my life's bread! I love you all so much!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	7. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can't begin to explain how excited I am for this chapter. Things are really starting to pick up! I'll let the chapter speak for itself! Enjoy!
> 
> On another note, this chapter is well over my self-imposed 3500 word goal! I also tallied everything up, and with this fic and my other, I have written well over 44K words in a month and half. I'm so proud of myself.
> 
> As always, I own nothing but the plot following that Courtney let me run with. JK Rowling owns all the characters.
> 
> Reviews are the highest form of payment and praise.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Hermione’s immersion into the wizarding world was starting today. They had received the letter, by owl, a couple of days ago.

Dear Granger Family,

A Ministry representative will be arriving in two days’ time at your residence at promptly 11 am to escort you to Diagon Alley.

Humbly Yours,

Hilda Hatchcock  
Department of Muggle Affairs

Now, they were all patiently waiting in the sitting room, watching the clock. Hermione was fidgeting, glancing at the clock every few seconds. As soon as the grandfather clock started to chime, there was a knock on their door. They hadn’t been kidding when they’d said promptly.

Hugo rose and left to answer the door, Hermione hot on his heels. The wizard on the other side of the door was wearing robes of deep ruby and a hat to match. His dark skin complemented the color nicely, and the gold hoop in his ear made him look less formal. “Hello, Mr. Granger. I am Kingsley Shacklebolt and I am here to escort you and your family to Diagon Alley.”

Hermione looked up at the man and smiled. She felt an immediate trust forming with the man and stepped forward, holding her hand out. “Hi! I’m Hermione!” 

Kingsley shook her hand with a smile, “Well, it is nice to meet you, Hermione. Are you ready to go?” The young girl nodded, looking back at her parents with a smile.

Kingsley stepped aside to let the family pass, gesturing towards the Ministry car parked in the drive. Once they were all inside, Kingsley started the vehicle with his wand, much to the amazement of the three others in the car with him. As he tapped the steering wheel with it, he grinned at the girl in the backseat watching him with wide-eyed wonder.

The car started to drive on its own, as if on an autopilot, heading them towards the streets of downtown London. The occupants were silent on the ride, even Hermione as she absorbed the way the car moved. The way the turn indicator flicked on by itself, how the wheel moved on its own, even the pedals.

When they were in front of the Leaky Cauldron, she looked out at the front of the dour pub. Her parents were looking at it blankly and slightly confused. “Why are we parking in front of an abandoned building?” Kingsley chuckled quietly. “It is far from abandoned. It is just made to look that way to repel muggles. We can’t have you accidentally stumbling upon us, now can we?”

The joke must have went over their heads, because they still stared blankly at the facade of the building. Once out of the vehicle, Kingsley led the group through the doors and the magical enchantment into the pub proper. The adults’ eyes widened as they got their first proper glimpse at the dingy pub. The little girl giggled as she saw a mop and bucket cleaning a spot on the floor with no one in sight.

Everywhere she turned, there was magic, and it was amazing. Over in one corner, the table and chairs were levitating as a broom swept scraps of food out from under them. In the other sat a curious woman-looking creature that she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Kingsley distracted her though, “Through this way, Hermione.”

He led them through the pub into a small courtyard out back. He walked straight up to a brick wall and pulled out his wand, turning to smile back at the family. “What, so now we’re going to walk through a brick wall?” Hugo asked. 

“In a manner of speaking.” Kingsley replied, before tapping the bricks in a precise manner and stepped back. There was a rumbling sound and then the bricks started to move, forming an archway.

The sight that lay beyond had Hermione stepping through first, eyes moving everywhere, taking it all in as much as she could. She had never been more awed by anything in her life. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere. There was an apothecary on her right that had a barrel of dragon dung sitting outside. Dragon dung! With flies buzzing around it! On the left was an ice cream parlor listing flavors she had never heard of.

Up ahead there were robe shops, quill shops, menageries, bookshops and even a wand shop. Hermione was so overwhelmed with it all that tears formed in her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was actually here. Kingsley appeared beside her and smiled at her warmly. “Amazing, isn’t it?” She nodded at him before returning to her ogling. “Shall we move on to Gringotts? That way we can get onto shopping.”

Hermione followed his lead, her parents behind her, looking around like she was. When they came up to the bank, they looked at it dubiously. The entire structure of the building looked unstable, but Kingsley walked in without a care in the world. The Grangers followed, Hugo pulling his wallet from his pocket.

This was where they would exchange their money for wizarding money. But when they arrived in the bank proper, they stopped immediately in their tracks. Behind the desks, there weren’t wizards and witches, like they had been expecting, but ugly looking creatures. “What are they?” Jean said loudly.

Kingsley visibly cringed, closing his eyes for a moment. “They’re Goblins, Mrs. Granger.” He looked over at the closest goblins that were now glaring at the woman. “Sorry, lads, she’s a muggle.” Their glares turned only slightly less hostile. Kingsley led them to a goblin farther down that hadn’t heard her remark and quickly led the monetary exchange.

Once they were back outside, he pulled out three coins from the bag. “The small bronze coin is a Knut, there are 29 Knuts to a Sickle, which is the silver one. And there are 493 Knuts to a Galleon, the gold one. Which leaves 17 Sickles to a Galleon.” Hermione quickly memorized the information that Kingsley was giving her, taking it all in.

She took the three coins from his hand and examined them closely. Around the edge of each coin was a number and she looked up at Kingsley, “What do these numbers mean?” He looked down at what she was referring to and smiled, “Each coin is handmade by a Goblin. Each Goblin has their own specific serial number. That serial number is stamped onto the coin to credit the Goblin for his or her work.”

Hermione nodded, depositing the coins into her pocket with a smile. She pulled the list of school supplies from her pocket, unfolding it and giving it a once over. “Where should we start then, Mr. Kingsley?” He gave her a wide grin, “How about Ollivander’s, hmm? I know you have to be itching to get your wand.”

Hermione gasped, her eyes lighting up as she nodded, “Oh yes, please!” Kingsley turned and walked back down the cobblestone street, Hermione hot on his heels. Jean and Hugo looked between one another and smiled. They hadn’t seen their daughter this happy in some time.

As the bell above the door at Ollivander’s rang as Kingsley opened the door, Hermione pushed past Kingsley and spun in a circle to look around the shop. The walls were lined with shelves that were filled with long slender boxes. From out of the back of the shop a voice called, “Be with you in a moment.”

A few minutes later, an old wizard appeared, hair wild, all over his head. “Kingsley! How good it is to see you! Wand still holding up well? Applewood, unicorn tail hair, 13 and a quarter inches, not very bendy. I remember that wand as if it were yesterday.” Kingsley pulled out said wand and showed it to the old man, who took it from him.

Hermione tilted her head as the wizard put the wand to his ear and seemed to listen to the piece of wood. “Ah, yes. Very good, very good. All is still well with this wand. I’m glad to see it is still working well for you, Kingsley. You see, dear one, the wand chooses the wizard, or in your case, the witch. Mr. Ollivander at your service.”

Mr. Ollivander handed the wand back to Kingsley and then bowed to Hermione. “Hermione Granger.” She answered with a smile. When the old wizard straightened, he looked Hermione up and down, as if measuring her. “Hmm, let’s see here. Ah…” He held up a hand and moved away to the front corner of the shop.

The group turned to watch him hobble up a ladder, remove a wand box and climb back down. When he arrived in front of Hermione, he removed the lid. “Beech. Unicorn hair. 8 and a half inches. Go ahead and give it a go.” Hermione took it from the box, but felt nothing. She looked between Kingsley and Mr. Ollivander who mimicked waving a wand.

She gave her hand a wave and a jet of red sparks shot out of the end, blasting a window out of the door. She shrieked and dropped the wand on the floor. “Nope, perhaps not…” Ollivander stated, picking the wand up. He returned that wand to its original place and went to look for another.

After what seemed like hours and trying every wand in the shop, Mr. Ollivander held up his finger and closed his eyes. Everyone was silent as he seemingly listened to the wands in the shop whispering to him. He disappeared into the very back of the shop, returning with yet another wand box.

As he opened this box, Hermione stared at him with apprehension, his shop was now a wreck and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be the cause of any more destruction. “This one is one that I have had for a very long time. Vine wood, dragon heartstring core, 10 and three quarter inches. Give this one a try.”

Hermione hesitantly wrapped her fingers around the base of the wand. Immediately, she felt a tingling move through her fingers and up her arm. She hadn’t felt that with any of the other wands, and as she lifted it from the box, she felt powerful and whole. With one wave of the wand, all of the havoc she had wreaked on the shop was repaired.

“As I said, Miss Granger, the wand chooses the witch.” Ollivander cooed. Kingsley chuckled softly as the elder Grangers stared in awe of what had just happened. They hadn’t said much throughout this entire trip, but that usually happened when muggle parents experienced Diagon Alley for the first time.

They took care of paying for the wand and left the shop, blinking at the brightness of the daylight. “Up next we will head to Madam Malkin’s for your robes. They’ll take the longest, since you’ll have to be measured. But by the time we get through with everything else, Madam Malkin will have them ready to pick up.”

Hermione grinned, looking at Kingsley’s robes. “Robes like yours?” 

He tilted his head back and laughed, “No, not quite so grandiose. Yours will be very plain and black. Come on, this way.”   
The family followed him along, Hermione looking back at her parents with a smile, “Isn’t this all amazing?”

They nodded and smiled at their daughter. Her excitement was contagious, even if they were both so overwhelmed. They entered the robe shop, where there were several pair of robes being magically altered, finding Madam Malkin overseeing the measurements of a red-headed student, the mother flitting around, much to the seamstress’ annoyance. The mother had a gaggle of kids with her, all with red hair and tattered clothing.

There were twins, who were giving each other devious looks and slowly inching away from their mother. A boy about her age and a girl who couldn’t be more than a year younger were bickering about something.

The mother turned to see the twins moving away and glared at them, “Fred, George, don’t you dare! Ronald! Ginevra! Would you two stop your bickering!” Hermione giggled and the younger boy turned to look at her with a lopsided grin. He waved at her and she waved back before her father placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away.

They waited for a few more minutes and Madam Malkin finally joined them with a tired smile, “Hello there, I’m Madam Malkin, welcome to my shop. Hogwarts?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Hermione answered enthusiastically. The witch smiled at her and gestured to a pedestal, helping Hermione onto it.

She draped some oversized, plain black robes on her shoulders, smiling softly. “This won’t take long and then you can finish your shopping.” She gave Hermione’s parents a soft smile, hoping to out them at ease. She quickly summoned her measuring tape and pins, setting them to work with her wand. In moments they were measuring Hermione and the robes, pinning the sleeves and hem to the correct lengths.

When she was done, Madam Malkin slipped the altered robes from her body and patted her shoulders. “All done, dear. I’ll have them done in a couple of hours. Here’s a couple of coupons for Fortescue’s. Go and get you an ice cream.” She winked at Hermione when she handed the coupons over.

“Thank you, Madam Malkin!” Hermione gave the portly witch a quick hug and left the shop, her parents and Kingsley in tow. They stopped in for the ice cream, sitting down for a break in the shopping to eat their treat. Once that was done, they left and headed for the apothecary. “In here we can get your cauldron, scales, telescope and phials. All that will leave is your school books and a familiar, if you’d like one.”

Hermione quirked her brow at him, tilting her head. “Familiar?” 

He looked over at her with a smile, “A pet. Listed at the bottom. Cat, owl or toad. The school has a variety of owls that you can use should you wish to write home, though.”

They walked through the apothecary and gathered her supplies quickly, making the payments for what they needed. Kingsley conveniently used what he called a shrinking spell to shrink the items to a smaller size so they would be easier to carry.

“Now, off to Flourish and Blotts.” Kingsley stated with a grin and Hermione matched his grin with one of her own. She knew what that shop was—it was the bookshop. Hermione raced ahead of her adult counterparts and into the shop, only stopping short when she saw books flying around to place themselves back onto their shelves.

Jean and Hugo entered behind her and smiled at the look of enthusiasm and pleasure on their daughter’s face. She was never more happy than when surrounded by books. Kingsley entered the shop next and smiled at the family. “Alright, Hermione, follow me. Let’s get your books.”

She looked up at the wizard with a wide grin and followed him around the shop. He started handing her book after book, until she could carry no more. Then he handed several off to Jean and Hugo. Hermione was looking at every book she could set her eyes on, taking in every title.

Kingsley grinned when his eyes caught one specific title and plucked it from the shelf. Hogwarts: A History. “I think you might like this, Hermione. My treat. What do you say?” Her eyes lit up with a grin and she nodded. “Thank you so much.”

With their shopping done, they returned to Madam Malkin’s to pick up her robes. A kindly attendant helped them check out, as Madam Malkin was busy fitting another customer. Hermione looked over at the seamstress and her newest customer, a pale boy, her age, with blonde hair and grey eyes. An odd tingle ran through Hermione when they caught eyes, but she was ushered out of the shop before anything else happened.

XxX

Draco stood in his room after coming home from being fitted for his robes and smiled. Sure, he wasn’t supposed to have a broom at Hogwarts, but he had managed to talk his father into getting him a new one. He was going to go out and ride it shortly, but first, he had to pack his trunk.

Sure, he could make Dobby do it. But he wanted to make sure he had everything he would need and might possibly want in the coming school year. He thought back to being fitted in the robe shop, to the girl who had walked in to pick up her robes. She had looked—no seemed—so familiar to him. But he knew he had never met her before. Then there had been that incident with that boy with the glasses, snobby little shit that he was. Not that Draco had much room to talk.

After that had happened, his parents had ushered him out of Diagon Alley, and sent Dobby to buy his school supplies. He had gotten his wand before going into the robe shop, and he looked at it now, grinning. It was made of hawthorn wood, nice and supple, with a unicorn hair core and 10 inches long. It felt a little long to him now, but he knew he’d grow into it.

Once everything was packed into its proper position in his trunk, Draco opened the door to his balcony and stepped out onto it with his new broom. He mounted the Nimbus 2000 and kicked off from the flagstone balcony, soaring into the air. In just a few short weeks, he would be on the train and free of his mother’s constant watchful eye. He couldn’t wait.

XxX

September first dawned bright and early and Hermione couldn’t wait. Today was the day that she would finally go to Hogwarts. Jean had come up to her room to see if she was ready, “All ready to go dear? We don’t want to miss your train.” Hermione smiled brightly at her mother and nodded. “All ready. Just need Daddy to come up and get my trunk.”

Kingsley had told them how Hermione had to get onto the platform, as it was invisible and inaccessible to muggles. Jean left to go and get her husband, her heart hammering in her chest. This was the first time in almost twelve years that Hermione had been away from them. She had never even gone to summer camp.

Hermione and Hugo appeared downstairs, trunk in tow, ready to go. As Hugo loaded the trunk into the boot of the car, Jean gave her daughter the first of many hugs. “I can’t believe we won’t see you until Christmas.” 

Hermione squeezed her mother’s waist and smiled. “I’ll write as often as I can, Mummy. I promise.”

They piled into the car and took the trip to King’s Cross in silence. The nerves were abounding in the car from everyone. The eldest Grangers, while they trusted that their daughter would be safe, were nervous about her being gone for so long. Hermione was nervous for a far different reason. She wanted to fit in, she wanted to know as much as the other kids did. She didn’t want to be seen as an outcast.

When her father pulled up to the curb, he left to go and get a trolley for her trunk. Hermione and Jean got out of the car. Jean brushed her daughter’s hair back with a smile. “You promise to write as soon as you’re able to?” 

Hermione leaned into her mother’s hands and nodded, “As soon as I can, Mum. I promise.”

Since they weren’t able to get onto the platform with her, Jean and Hugo had decided that it was best for them to just let her go in on her own. It would look awkward for them to go in and just stand around after Hermione disappeared. Jean pulled her daughter back into her arms, wrapping her up tight so as to hide her tears. “Oh, Hermione, I’m going to miss you so very much.”

Hermione finally started to tear up, burying her face in her mother’s chest. “I’m going to miss you, too Mummy.” 

Hugo returned with a trolley, loading Hermione’s trunk onto it and smiled at his little girl. “My Caterpillar. Now you behave while you’re gone.” Hermione broke away from her mother and launched herself at her father.

He wrapped her in his arms and checked his watch at the same time. “You’d better go, Caterpillar, before you miss your train. We love you so very much. Write soon.” 

Her mother nodded, kissing her daughter’s head. “We do love you. More than life itself. Have a great term, dear.” Hermione broke away from her parents and took hold of her trolley, disappearing into the crowd in King’s Cross.

Hermione followed Kingsley’s instructions, found the archway for platform 9 ¾, and jogged straight for the barrier. After an initial bit of resistance, she pushed through onto a bustling platform. Someone appeared at her side, took her trunk to load it on the train with a grin and told her she could board the train if she wished.

XxX

On the platform, Draco was trying to disentangle himself from his mother’s choking embrace. “And you’ll remember to brush your teeth. Wash behind your ears. Keep your area straightened up. Do your homework and write home every day.” 

He finally managed to push away, smoothing his hair back on his head and straightening his robes. “Yes, Mum, I will.”

As the train horn signaled that it was time to board, Draco sent up a silent thanks to Merlin himself. His trunk had already been loaded and he headed for the train. He turned, giving his father a curt nod, their preferred method of saying hello and goodbye. For his mother, he blew her a kiss, knowing she would take pleasure in knowing that her precious little boy was still unafraid to show his love for her publicly.

He ducked onto the train and moved to find an empty compartment. He had already seen Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle board, but he had no desire to go and find them just yet. He had sat there for a few minutes, in silence, when the door to the compartment slid aside and a girl cleared her throat.

“Excuse me. May I sit here? Everywhere else is full.” 

He looked up into the honey colored eyes of the girl from Madam Malkin’s. For a moment he was struck dumb, but then he smiled and forced himself to nod. “Yes, you can. I’d like that.”

She moved into the compartment fully, sliding the door closed again and smiling his way. Before she took her seat, she leaned over and held out her hand. “I’m Hermione Granger.”

He took what was offered and gave it a shake. “I am Draco Malfoy. It’s very nice to meet you.”

The moment their hands touched, they both felt a foreign, but strangely familiar tingling sensation shoot up their arms. With a curious look at each other, they dropped their hands and Hermione took her seat. “So what do you know about Hogwarts, Draco?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Soooo, what did you think, my Soulies? I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Courtney may have called me an evil puff for leaving it on a cliffy, but I loved the way it ended!
> 
> On another note, updates may slow up a little bit in the next week or so. I will finally get this tooth that is giving me all the problems, pulled on Thursday, March 2. So, I may be wallowing in pain instead of writing, but once the pain passes, I'll be back to writing.
> 
> Please review! I love you all!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	8. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay my Soulies, so I'm not promising the quality of this chapter, but I've heard from a couple of reliable sources, that this chapter is a good one. I also wrap up a couple of plot holes in this chapter, so pay attention to the date stamp at the tops of the POV changes.
> 
> So, I finally went live with my other fic, Say You Won't Let Go. I will be updating it on Saturday's, times will vary, due to my work schedule, but updates -WILL- be Saturday's. I hope y'all give it a chance and enjoy it! I have nine chapters written for it so far, so there will be no delays. I have nine weeks to write without having to worry. So check it out!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
> Please review!!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!

Draco looked at the bushy haired girl in front of him with a smile. “What do I know about Hogwarts? Just about anything. Mum and Father both went to Hogwarts when they were kids. What about your parents?” He stood to reach into the overhead bin to pull out two apples, handing one over to Hermione.

Her face had fallen slightly, a frown creasing her forehead. “My parents are, what did Professor McGonagall call them, Muggles? I was adopted, so I have no idea about my birth parents.”

Draco’s heart immediately sank as his father's voice rang in his skull, all about not consorting with mudbloods. But he fought the voice back and ignored it. There was something different about Hermione, he could feel it. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel it.

“Adopted? So you could be a halfblood or a pureblood and not know? That's crazy, to be raised by Muggles and never know that you were a witch.”

Hermione rotated the apple in her hands, breathing a sigh of relief. Kingsley had warned her that she may face some animosity from the pureblood families—particularly the more wealthy ones, like the one this boy, Draco, belonged to—for being raised by Muggles. That was why she'd made it expressly clear that she had been adopted.

She'd been told by her parents, when she was old enough to understand, that she had been adopted. They had had no idea she was a witch, but they wouldn't change her for the world. They still would have taken her in.

“I never knew any different. I was loved, cherished and well-cared for. More than can be said for those raised in orphanages. Even through all of that, I always felt out of place. Of course, I know why now.” She gave a girlish giggle, looking at Draco, her eyes alight and dancing with glee. “Have you tried any spells?”

Draco blinked, taken aback. She knew spells? Muggle-raised Hermione knew spells? “I, uh, no. I haven't. We aren't supposed to do magic outside of school.” He watched as she blushed, but pulled her wand from her robes.

“I know, but I couldn't resist. I've only tried a few simple ones, really. But they've all worked for me.” She pointed her wand at the compartment door, a look of concentration on her face as she called out, “Alohomora.”

Draco’s mouth fell open as the locking mechanism on the compartment door clicked and the door slid open of its own accord. She rose from her seat and closed the door again, locking it manually. He shook his head, trying to free it from the shock. “How did you learn that?”

“I just read the books on the school list.” She shrugged as if reading eight books was something she did on a daily basis. Draco was amazed by this girl in front of him.

“All of them? Front to back?” As he watched the unruly curls bounce as she nodded, he shook his head. “Why though?” He felt compelled to understand her. He needed to understand the way her mind worked.

She seemed to cave in on herself when he asked her that question. Those two words alone were detrimental to her psyche. So much so that her answer was mumbled, “I just wanted to learn as much as I could. So that I wouldn't look or sound so out of place. Like the kids who had grown up knowing who they were. Like you.”

Sweet Salazar, Draco’s tiny little heart broke just then. The poor girl was terrified of looking stupid in front of other people. She had probably spent her whole life being smarter than those around her. Now she was moving into uncharted territory, where she knew nothing about her surroundings.

It was like she didn't know how to swim and someone had chucked her into the deep end. Something pulled Draco to the other side of the compartment to sit next to Hermione, his arm slinging around her shoulder. “I'll help you, Hermione. You can always count on me. Whenever you need me.”

She looked up at him, and this close, he could see the swirling colors in her eyes. If he knew he wouldn't sound completely crazy, he'd say he'd seen those eyes in his dreams for years. But that would be crazy.

He gave her shoulders a little squeeze, smiling when she leaned into his embrace. His smile widened when he heard a distant voice, “Anything from the trolley?!”

Hermione looked up at him questioningly. “What does she mean?” 

Draco began rummaging in his pockets, pulling out his money. “Snack trolley. She's got all kinds of wizarding snacks and candies. I'll get the lot and you can try them all. You have to try the Fizzing Whizbees first though. They're my favorite.”

When the trolley made it to their compartment, he indeed bought everything on the cart. One of at least everything, but two of the things that only had one piece, like Chocolate Frogs. As he closed the compartment again, he saw Crabbe and Goyle walk past, giving him a questioning look. He just glared at them, pulling the shades down.

As he dumped their loot into the space between them, he grinned at Hermione, holding up the Fizzing Whizbee packet. “What do they do?” she asked skeptically, taking a packet for herself and opening the large ball.

“You put it in your mouth and suck on it. Go ahead.” He opened his own, but waited for her to put it in her mouth first. He wanted to catch her expression. Once she had the candy in her mouth and began to suck on it, he put his own in his mouth and did the same.

Her eyes widened as she started to levitate a couple of inches from the train seat. An expression of excitement and glee crossed her features. He also began to rise and she reached forward and clasped their fingers. He gave her hand a squeeze as they floated in place.

Once the candy had disappeared in their mouths, they slowly floated down to their seats. Hermione giggled quietly. “I can see why those are your favorite. Chocolate Frogs? They aren't real frogs, are they?”

Draco shook his head, “No, it's a spell. They've got one jump in them. But they have a card in the box. It's the card you want, really.” He watched as Hermione opened the box, managing to catch the frog quickly and popping it into her mouth.

She stopped moving as she looked down at the card, frozen as she read the words and eyes locked onto the picture of Salazar Slytherin.

XxX

Something inside Hermione clicked at the sight of the man on the card in her hand. He disappeared moments later, but his image was branded into her mind. She read the short biography underneath the empty picture slot, but nothing seemed like new information.

It all felt as if she had lived it first hand, though only to a certain point. She shook herself free of the funk she had gotten into and looked up at Draco. “What card did you get?”

“Oh, I've got Rowena Ravenclaw. But I've got plenty of her. If you'd like her card, you can keep it too.” Hermione took the card in her hand and the image of Rowena looked up at her, a loving look in the long-dead witch’s eyes, as if she knew something.

Hermione recognized something in the woman, something that felt like home. But before she could identify it, the woman was gone. As she read the generic summary of her life as she had read Salazar’s, there was the same feeling of familiarity. Something she couldn’t place tugged inside of her.

Draco nudged her gently, smiling at her as he held up a box of jelly beans. “Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. And he really means every flavor. You brave enough to try them?” Hermione’s eyes bugged out of her head as she eyed the box wearily.

“Of course I’m brave enough! Let’s get started!” She grinned at the boy in front of her. She had never felt more comfortable with someone before. Not even with her parents. She held out her hand as Draco opened the box of beans. He poured one into her hand and she looked at the lime colored candy in her hand.

“Oh, that could be so many different ones. Bogey, green apple, mint…” He continued to list the possible flavors, but Hermione popped the bean into her mouth, sagging in relief when a green apple flavor assaulted her tongue.

“It’s green apple.” Hermione grinned brightly, watching as Draco put a bean into his mouth and made a face.

She giggled loudly when he spit the partially chewed candy into his hand, gagging on the remaining flavor in his mouth, “Ack! Rotten egg! That’s disgusting!” Hermione had peeked down at her muggle wristwatch and squeaked.

“We must be getting close to Hogwarts by now! I need to put on my robes!” She jumped up to begin rummaging in her trunk as best she could by standing on the seat. The train took a slight turn, and she fell, squealing. Draco rushed into action, catching her in his arms and falling onto the cushioned seat he had occupied at first.

That sat in a stunned silence, looking into each other's eyes. There it was again, like in Madam Malkin’s shop—an invisible pull between the two of them. One that, the longer they looked into each other’s eyes, the harder it was to deny.

Suddenly, they both felt older than their eleven years. They both felt as if they were sucked into a past they had no knowledge of. A past that had them tied together for longer than either of them could ever imagine and for the briefest of moments, that past crashed over them as their innocent, eleven-year-old lips touched.

XxX

June 1980

Dumbledore had just returned from yet another meeting with the Order, discussing the Prophecy as it had come to be called. They had been so focused on trying to determine which family it referred to—the Longbottoms or the Potters—that he had missed a vital piece of information.

However, until the beginning of this month, the second part of the prophecy had held no relevance. Not until Seraphina Salazar—now Hermione Granger—had been awakened from her magical coma. She was the forgotten daughter of the prophecy. Of that there was no doubt.

Opening a drawer on his desk, he pulled the wand from its resting place. He needed to get it to Ollivander for safekeeping. No doubt Seraphina would return to Diagon Alley to pick up her school supplies for her first year. It would be best to have her own wand. With a sigh, he disapparated.

When he appeared in Diagon Alley, he opened the door to Ollivander’s, walking in as the bell rang. “Garrick?” 

A head of crazy white hair stuck out from behind a shelf, smiling at his old friend. “Well, hello, Albus! What can I do for you this evening?”

“I have a wand here that I need you to hold onto for about eleven years, my friend.” Albus held up the vinewood wand and smiled at his old friend. Garrick came over to Albus, took the wand from him and held it up to his ear. “My, my, this is a very old wand indeed. I shall keep it locked up tight in the back. I assume that no one should know that it is here?”

As Albus nodded, he hated that he was putting his old friend in this kind of position, but knew that this was the right thing to do. The wand would be safest in his possession until it could be back in its proper owners hands. After all, the prophecy said she was the key to the Chosen One’s victory.

XxX

Present Day

When Draco and Hermione broke away from their little kiss, they were both blushing furiously. Hermione scrambled free of Draco’s lap, giggling madly as she returned to trying to find her robes.

Draco tried to hide his grin, but couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He too, began searching for his robes. Every few moments, he would glance back at Hermione, only to catch her doing the same and they would break out in a fresh wave of giggles.

They both located their robes at the same time and pulled them on. Hermione sat down in the same spot she had been in. She looked down at the candy wrappers, her blush resurfacing. She looked beautiful when she blushed. He quickly moved and sat down next to her, his arm brushing hers.

Since their lips had connected, even through the embarrassment and giggling, he had felt a need to be near her. It seemed she felt it too, since she leaned into him. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, Hermione watching the scenery going by.

Draco thought back to all the times his mother had forced him to spend time with Pansy, hoping that a relationship would blossom between the two children. He could see why though, now, sitting here with Hermione. He knew there would be trials and hurdles ahead of them. Their friendship wasn’t going to be an easy one. Because even though she wasn’t technically a muggleborn, hell even just a couple of hours in her presence and he was already thinking differently, she was still raised by muggles. To his friends and parents, that was close enough to being a muggleborn. To being a mudblood.

Even though he had said that he would be around to help her adjust to her new life, it would be hard for the both of them, but he was going to stick by his word. That was one thing a Malfoy did, they stuck to their word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I thoroughly hope you enjoyed this chapter! My favorite part is the continuation of the train ride. I hope it exceeded your expectations as to what you expected to happen. So, she isn't technically a 'mudblood' and she made that clear to both herself and Draco. Which means he didn't storm out on her. Yay!!
> 
> Please, please review!!
> 
> All my love,  
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	9. And the Verdict Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello there, my Soulies! A couple of treats for you this chapter! The sorting, sort of... ;) As well as finding out who our evil, spoiled Eldric's soul reincarnated as. But I also had a couple of dilemma's. One of which I will address at the end of this chapter.
> 
> If you haven't already, make sure you check out Say You Won't Let Go! Happy Reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. I merely borrowed the Sorting Hat's song from the first book.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Draco and Hermione had sat the rest of the train ride in silence, comfortable just to be in each other’s presence. That was something Draco had never experienced with anyone. When the train pulled into the station at Hogsmeade, Draco had to actually wake Hermione because she had fallen asleep. “Hermione, we’ve made it into Hogsmeade.”

She sat up straight and brushed at her hair, “Really? Oh my god, Draco! We’re really here?” She began looking out of the window in the compartment, her eyes taking in what she could of Hogsmeade. The other students were filling the hallways outside the compartment. Draco stood and held his hand out for Hermione with a smile. “Come on. We need to get moving, too. You can see more of Hogsmeade when we get off of the train.”

Hermione looked up at her trunk, “But what about…” she trailed off when Draco shook his head. “It will be moved to the castle for us. We get to ride the boats across the Black Lake, remember?” At that, her eyes lit up and she took his hand, standing up with a smile.

“Oh, I’m so excited to see the Great Hall. You know that the ceiling is enchanted right?” she said, opening the compartment door.

Draco nodded. “To reflect the sky outside, yeah, I know. It’s really awesome. You really read Hogwarts: A History from front to back too, didn’t you?” 

She blushed and nodded, “I wanted to know as much as possible.”

Draco led them into the throng of other students to the nearest exit, dreading the moment when they would eventually be separated. He knew that moment would come. For now, though, he kept his hold on Hermione’s hand.

All along the platform there were murmurs and whispers reaching his ears, ones that he never thought he’d hear uttered at his school, “Harry Potter is here at Hogwarts.” “Harry Potter was on the train.” “Did you hear about Harry Potter?” Harry Potter was famous in the wizarding world. Though he had only been a baby at the time, he was the only known survivor of a killing curse.

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself had tried to kill Harry Potter and it had backfired, resulting in the death of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. None of his followers could believe it, especially not his father. Draco hadn’t been old enough to comprehend any of it. He had barely been a year old at the time. Draco knew though, from his multiple eavesdropping sessions, that his father had been wrapped up in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s clan and it sickened him.

When the first years were ushered away by a giant man, Draco and Hermione were separated. The look Hermione gave him was a terrified one as they were put into different boats. Draco ended up in a boat with Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. “Dracoooo, where have you been?” Pansy whined in his ear, and it was all Draco could do not to roll his eyes.

XxX

In the midst of the chaos, Hermione got separated from Draco. She had a brief moment of panic before she was shoved into a boat with three other students. Her eyes were still wide as saucers as she looked around her, seated next to her was a red-headed boy. He looked vaguely familiar to her.

“You were in Madam Malkin’s when I was.” He blurted out when he saw her staring at him. She smiled at him, some of her panic dissipating. When he held out an awkward hand to her, she did the polite thing and took it to shake. What she didn’t expect however, was to be sucked into another plane of existence.

The green rolling hills were their playground as they ran from their parents and their lessons, they were both eleven and just beginning their training. “I bet you can’t catch me!” She called out to Eldric. His strawberry blonde hair was flying in the wind behind him. He insisted on keeping it long. His grin was wide as he lengthened his stride and started to gain on her. She squealed in excitement and ran all the faster.

When the boy broke the contact, he seemed unaffected and like he hadn’t seen what Hermione had seen. “Um, okay then.” 

Hermione shook her head, “I’m sorry, I thought I saw something in the lake. My name is Hermione. Yours is Ron, right?”

This made the boy smile and nod, changing his demeanor. “Yeah, Ron Weasley. Nice to meet you.” 

Hermione looked forward at the pudgy boy in the front of the boat. He looked sad as he looked up at the looming castle. “What about you? What’s your name?”

The boy looked back at her with sad eyes and a long expression. “Neville Longbottom. You didn’t happen to see a toad on the train, did you?” 

Hermione shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, Neville, I didn’t.” 

He sighed heavily, wringing his hat in his hands, causing it to wrinkle. “Gran is going to kill me.” He said.

Hermione felt sorry for the boy as she turned to look behind her. She was surrounded by boys, it seemed. Behind her was another dark-haired boy, this one with shaggy hair that got caught in his round-rimmed glasses. His eyes were so green that you could see them even in the dim lantern light on the boat.

When his hand came up to brush at his hair, she could see the edge of a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, her eyes went wide and she gasped, “Holy cricket! You’re Harry Potter! I’ve read about you.” She noticed the uncomfortable look he got in his eyes when she mentioned who he was. It had also been said in the history book that he had vanished without a trace from the wizarding world.

So she assumed he had been swept into the muggle world too. “Well, I’m Hermione Granger, it’s nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand with a smile. She didn’t want him to feel awkward around her. She needed all the friends she could get.

He smiled at her, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. It was then she noticed the tape holding the nose piece together. “That must be awful. Hang on.” She pulled her wand free and he recoiled. She giggled as she pointed the tip of her wand at his glasses and called out clearly, “Occulus Reparo.”

With a snap and a small puff of smoke, the tape disappeared and his glasses were good as new. He took them off, gave them an inspection and grinned. “Thanks.” She nodded and turned around, surprised at how close the castle was now.

When their boats finally docked, she scrambled out with the help of Neville and Harry. To be honest, she was slightly scared to touch Ron again. Harry led them right up to the giant man, unafraid. He briefly explained that Hagrid was the one who had taken him to Diagon Alley.

“Alrigh’, firs’ years, follow meh.” Hagrid turned and led them up the great stone steps of the castle, all the students looking around in wonder. Hermione tried to catch a glimpse of Draco, but there were just too many kids.

Once they were through the massive front doors, Hagrid led them around a grand foyer toward another pair of double doors. On the other side could be heard chatter from a massive crowd, which meant it had to be the Great Hall. “Professor McGonagall will be along in a moment.” Hagrid said gruffly, disappearing back out of the front doors.

The students shuffled nervously, looking around the massive space, wondering when exactly the professor would show up. Hermione finally spotted Draco as he made his way over. “So it’s true, Harry Potter really has come to Hogwarts.” At his declaration, there were murmurs through the kids. Draco gave Ron a quick up and down look, clearly not impressed with what he saw. “You must be another Weasley.”

Draco’s voice was haughty, nothing like Hermione had heard on the train and she frowned. There was clearly some animosity between them, though at eleven, she could hardly imagine what it could be. 

Before the foaming at the mouth began, Draco turned to Harry. “Some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You’ll do best to remember that.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and she took a step forward towards Draco, when he caught her movement and his eyes locked with hers, he actually blushed and looked embarrassed for what he had said. But he also didn’t take it back. “I think I can figure that out for myself, thanks.” Harry retorted.

With a final, almost pleading look at Hermione, Draco departed and went back to wherever he’d been standing before. Hermione couldn’t believe how he’d acted. He seemed like two different people. Maybe he’d explain once they were able to talk alone again. She couldn’t stew on it anymore, however, because Professor McGonagall appeared, holding a rolled piece of parchment.

She gave Hermione a small smile and addressed the rest of the students. “Welcome to Hogwarts, first years. In just a moment, I will lead you into the Great Hall, where you will be sorted. First, we will listen to the Sorting Hat’s song. I advise you to take heed its words, what it says could help you at some point in your time here and well after. Follow me.”

She opened the doors to the Great Hall and the students filed in after her, all in awe, looking up at the enchanted ceiling, Hermione among them. She hadn’t noticed Draco sliding up beside her until he had whispered in her ear, “Hermione, I’m sorry. It’s just there’s a lot of family history between the Weasleys and Malfoys. And as for Potter, well, I tried to befriend him in Malkin’s and he was incredibly rude to me.”

She looked over at Draco and frowned, he was pouting like a petulant child. Well, he was a petulant child, but still. “That doesn’t give you an excuse to be mean, Draco. Just because there is family history between your families, doesn’t mean that the two of you cannot call a truce. You are a new generation. And as for Harry Potter? You can’t be friends with everyone. Just let it go and walk away.”

Hermione huffed, crossing her arms on her chest as she looked at Draco. He gave her a crooked grin and nodded, “Yes, Hermione. Okay, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon.” He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and went back to his friends.

Hermione was blushing as she remained in her spot, her eyes glued to the professor’s platform, where McGonagall was standing next to a stool and a ragged looking hat. She frowned as she watched the hat. She knew, from Hogwarts: A History, just what this hat was and what it did. But she was surprised at its state. It looked as if it were ready to fall apart at the seams.

Just as she thought that, one of the seams opened up, revealing a mouth-like opening, and the old hat began to speak in a rhythmic voice:

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Hermione memorized every word the Sorting Hat said, cataloging it all in her brain for later use, and wondered which house she’d be sorted into. She could already imagine Draco being sorted into Slytherin, she just had a feeling that would happen.

She couldn’t picture herself in Slytherin, she wasn’t cunning. Ravenclaw, maybe. She had wit and learning was her absolute most favorite thing in the world. She would very much like to be in Ravenclaw. But then again, she could also picture herself in Hufflepuff. She was a very loyal person when it came to those she loved and cherished. She was just and unafraid of toil. So lost in her mind, she missed Professor McGonagall calling her name the first time.

On the second call, she shook herself and started up the steps repeating to herself, “Breathe, just breathe, it’ll be okay.” She settled herself on the stool, taking deep breaths. She didn’t even have to search; her eyes just immediately latched onto Draco’s. He gave her an encouraging smile and her fears melted away. She didn’t even flinch when the hat was placed on her head.

She did, however, gasp when a voice echoed inside her head, “Oh, now this is very intriguing. An old soul. A very old soul we have here. One that goes back to the foundations of this very school. Interesting...yes, yes, I see now. Green and silver, blue and bronze. Your parents’ original coat of arms. Fate, however, has other plans, my dear. Red and Gold, it’s all right here. Your soul cleaved in two will be righted once more, but you must help the one who will defeat darkness. And for that you are needed right where dwell the brave. For what you did was brave indeed.” The voice left her head and in turn shouted into the Great Hall, “GRYFFINDOR!”

XxX

Draco’s heart sank when Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor. This would just make their friendship that much more difficult on both their ends. He watched as she bounced off of the stage and took her place at the Gryffindor table. As she was welcomed by the Weasley twins, he felt a twinge of jealousy. He knew she wouldn’t have been placed in Slytherin, she was too good for that; but he had hoped. Oh, how he had hoped.

When his own name was called, he walked up the steps haughtily, giving his friends a smirk. But ultimately, his eyes landed on Hermione’s. He wanted so much to be someone different at that moment, to be someone she could be proud of. The ache was so strong, that when the hat was placed on his head, it didn’t immediately shout Slytherin as he’d expected.

“Oh, another Malfoy. I would say I knew exactly what to do with you. But there is something different here. You have an old soul as well. Tied to that of another here. You are still cunning, oh yes. But yet, there are some underlying tones of bravery here. Wit beyond measure was Ravenclaw’s greatest pride. You are quite the conundrum, young Mister Malfoy. Where to put you?”

His heart was jumping in his chest. He’d always expected that he would be placed in Slytherin, as all his family had. Except for his cousin, Sirius. But now, the hat was actually debating where he should go. His wide eyes were locked on Hermione’s and she was looking at him curiously, wondering what was happening.

“Yes, yes, your entire family has been in Slytherin. I see the yearning you have to be a better person. You could achieve that in Gryffindor, you know. With your heart’s desire, yes, I see that too. I also see that you do not wish to disappoint your father. You will soon see that family isn’t everything. But you see, I don’t make many mistakes. The founders made sure of that. Especially after that dreadful debacle before Hogwarts even began. Poor, poor Seraphina. Oh well, better be…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okie dokie Soulies. I was told, yet again, that I was evil. I just love leaving cliffhangers. So sue me. Please don't. Now, to address the obvious dilemma. The reason I left the chapter the way I did, was because I was having a hard time choosing where Draco should go. The obvious choice is Slytherin, ob....viously. But as you saw the Sorting Hat say, he would do well in two other houses as well. So, let me know, in your reviews, what house you think he should be in!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	10. Gryffindor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If there are any mistakes or grammatical errors, just a warning, this chapter didn't go to the beta. So I just wanted you to know. Once I have the chapter edited, I will replace it. 
> 
> Here is the long awaited result. I won't keep you any longer, I just hope that you're all excited for where this could lead, just as I am. It will be most exciting to see what shenanigans Draco will get up to being in such close quarters with Harry and Ron, as well as Hermione.
> 
> I want to take a moment to express how much your follows, favorites, reviews, kudos, bookmarks and comments mean to me. It gives me so much joy to see that you are enjoying this as much as I am. Now, onto the good stuff.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

“Better be… GRYFFINDOR!” Draco’s jaw dropped. He could hear shocked gasps resounding around the Great Hall. Hermione looked just as shocked, like she had expected him to be placed in Slytherin just as much as he had. His eyes dropped to Crabbe and Goyle’s faces, they looked dumbfounded, Pansy looked livid. This was it, the Sorting Hat had just signed his death warrant, he was sure of it.

McGonagall removed the hat from his head and actually smiled down at him, “Welcome to Gryffindor, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco moved slowly as he rose from the stool and stumbled over to the Gryffindor table. He sank down clumsily next to Hermione in a daze, his eyes watering from the need to blink. But he couldn’t make himself do it. He was most definitely in shock.

A brown haired boy with a Scottish accent slid over a goblet of pumpkin juice. “Here, drink this. It’ll help with the shock.” Draco took large gulps of the juice, feeling Hermione’s eyes on him. She had her hand on his back and was rubbing soothing circles there, as his mother would do. When the goblet was empty, he looked over at Hermione, “My father is going to go ballistic. Everyone in my family, in the Malfoy line, for as long as I can remember has been in Slytherin. My dad is on the Board of Governors. He’ll be here in the castle by morning. This is so not good.”

Draco groaned and dropped his head into his hands, his fingernails digging into his scalp as Hermione continued to rub his back. “Surely it won’t be that bad, Draco. Maybe you could write to your father and tell him that...that…” Draco didn’t mean to sneer at her, it just came out, “That what, Hermione? That I’m happy to be in Gryffindor? You just don’t get it. You weren’t raised the way I was. You don’t understand anything about the way Purebloods think.”

Hermione recoiled, a hurt look on her face and immediately he regretted the words that had left his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m just in shock and confused. I was raised believing I would be a Slytherin like my parents. I came here expecting to be a Slytherin. This is just so bloody crazy.” Hermione nodded, that hurt look still in her eyes as she returned her attention to the sorting, her hand falling away from his back.

He sighed heavily, resting his chin in his hand as he too, looked back at the sorting. “Harry Potter.” McGonagall called and he made a face at the name as the black-haired boy walked up to the stool, looking nervous. The hat deliberated for a moment, no doubt speaking in Potter’s mind as it had his own.

When the hat shouted out another resounding, “GRYFFINDOR!” Draco had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course Potter would be sorted into Gryffindor, he was, after all the one who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As he joined the table, sitting by yet another Weasley, Draco drew into himself.

He could already imagine the letter his father would receive, alerting him of where each student was sorted, as he did every year. He’d always mutter under his breath about the Weasley’s being in “Bloody Gryffindor.” While his father was nothing like Theodore Nott’s father, Lucius Malfoy was definitely not going to be happy.

The sorting was winding down, moving into the W section of the alphabet. When the next of the Weasley clan was called, Draco beat the hat to it as he mumbled, “Gryffindor.” The gangly red-head made his way over and wedged himself in next to Harry. “I’m feeling a bit peaky. When are they going to serve the food?”

All three of his siblings rolled their eyes and just ignored him. Hermione giggled next to him and Draco found himself feeling jealous. He focused his glare on the youngest Weasley and glared at him, wishing he could make that red mop on the top of his head disappear. Then he remembered he’d be sharing a dorm with the wanker and he swore under his breath.

With the sorting done, the headmaster rose from his seat, and moved to the podium at the front of the platform. “May I have your attention, please? A few start of term reminders, before we begin our feast…”

Draco listened as best he could, but his mind was whirling a mile a minute, trying to find a way to convince his father that he would be fine in Gryffindor. To leave him here at Hogwarts. To not pull him out and send him to Durmstrang. The mere thought of leaving Hogwarts had a clenching pain in his chest.

Once Dumbledore had finished his speech, he clapped his hands and a feast unlike anything Draco had ever seen. The moment the aromas hit his nose, he forgot all about his current dilemma and he started loading his plate down with all the food it could hold. Hermione looked over at him with a grin.

She nudged his shoulder with hers and he returned the gesture, glad to see that their momentary tiff was forgotten. Conversations burst out around him, but he only concerned himself with Hermione and the boy who’d given him the pumpkin juice. Who turned out to be the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood.

When the meal was over, they were all dismissed and told to follow their respective prefects to their dormitories. As they stood in front of a portrait of what the eldest Weasley called ‘The Fat Lady’ , she called out in a falsely dramatic voice, “Password.” Percy Weasley called out in a haughty voice, “Caput Draconis.” Draco nearly snorted at that password, no way he would forget that. Dragon’s head? His name did mean dragon after all.

The portrait swung forward and revealed a hole in the stone wall. As the students started to clamber through it, Draco looked over at Hermione and grinned. “After you, my lady.” He gestured to the hole and helped her in, then followed after her. He looked around the common room, so unlike what his father described for the Slytherin common room. The way his father described, it seemed dank and dreary. But here, in the Gryffindor common room, it was warm and cozy, everything the Manor or the Slytherin common room was not.

Percy directed them to which dormitories were which, but Draco wasn’t interested in going to check out where he was sleeping, as his fellow dorm mates were. Instead he dropped down onto a plush couch by the large fireplace. When the couch dipped next to him, he turned his head and smiled at the bushy haired brunette next to him. “Well, hello there.”

“Hello, Draco. Are you okay? With being here? In Gryffindor?” She asked tentatively, leaning her head on his shoulder. He nodded with a sigh, “I actually am, to an extent. It’s just, my father is going to…” He trailed off and rested his head against hers. “He’s going to lose his mind, yeah, I know, you said so. Maybe he won’t. Have you written him, yet?”

Draco shook his head, his hands rubbing up and down his thighs. “No, I wouldn’t even know what to say. Besides, he’ll have already gotten the letter stating where the first years were sorted to. All the governors get one. Can we not talk about it anymore? I just want to stare into the flames.”

Hermione smiled, “Whatever you want, Draco.” He felt her relax into his side and he inhaled deeply, his senses fully engulfed by everything Hermione. Her flowers and sunshine scent was in his nose, her body heat was sinking into his skin and it was making him sleepy. He was just so comfortable around Hermione that he felt he could let his guard down, so he did and dozed off.

XxX

The tawny barn owl swept through the Manor, dropping the letter on Lucius’ desk. He unrolled the parchment and immediately started searching for his son’s name. Fully intending to find it under the Slytherin column. When he couldn’t find it there, he checked Ravenclaw, better that than any other. When it wasn’t there, he checked Hufflepuff and thought Merlin forbid he was sorted into that category. When he couldn’t find his name there, his stomach officially dropped to his feet.

“NARCISSA!!” He yelled, storming from his study, the letter in his hand. He found her in one of her sitting rooms that overlooked the gardens, a cup of tea paused at her lips when he stormed in. “Yes, love?” He waved the letter in the air, the parchment crackling in the air. “He was sorted into Gryffindor! Gryffindor, Cissa!”

She continued on and took a sip of her tea, her eyes calmly trained on her husband, brow raised questioningly. When she lowered the cup, she just continued to look at Lucius, that brow raised at him. “It was never set in stone that he would be sorted into Slytherin, Lucius.”

Lucius spluttered at that, crumpling the letter in his hand as he looked at her. “But a Malfoy always gets sorted into Slytherin!” Narcissa actually had the nerve to giggle at her husband, shaking her head. “And so did the Blacks, until Sirius. You can’t actually still be holding on to all those house grudges? I mean, honestly, Lucius. You are a grown ass man, act like it. He is our son and you know as well as I do that the hat takes your thoughts into account as well. There was obviously something that pulled him a certain direction.

“We raised him, Lucius, we have to trust him and his judgements. I understand that you are disappointed, but if you let him know that, you have to know how damaging that would be to him. So you will not go to that school, like I know you are planning to. You will write him a letter, from the both of us, tell him how proud we are of him, send him some of the cakes from the kitchen, and you will sign it with love.”

Lucius stared open mouthed at his wife, the balled up letter digging into his palm. “But, I wasn’t… I can’t… Cissa, surely that hat has lost its touch. If it had a brain I’d say it had gone senile. I mean, that hat has been used since the school has opened and…” Narcissa stopped him with a glare. “And it was enchanted by four of the greatest witches and wizards Britain has ever seen, it is not an artifact that will likely make a mistake. I am completely confident that the hat will still be fully operational well after we are all dead and gone. Now do as I said, Lucius Malfoy, or so help me, I will hex you into the next century and you won’t have to worry about what house Draco is in.”

Lucius just still stared dumbfounded at his wife, unsure how to speak at the moment. Narcissa simply sipped at her tea again, her eyes staring at her husband calmly. The stare down lasted for a few minutes. His wife had always been the submissive type, until she found something to dig her heels in about. When she did, Merlin’s sake, he knew not to push. This, he could see, was one of those moments.

He blinked first, losing the battle. “Yes, Cissa.” He turned and left the sitting room, the words Cissa had spoken mulling over in his mind. He supposed she was right. They had to trust their son, they did raise him to be the best that he could be. If that was to be accomplished by him being a Gryffindor, then so be it.

Back in his study, he sat in his chair, pulled a piece of parchment close to him and lifted his quill from the inkwell. Inhaling slowly, he closed his eyes for a moment before putting tip to paper and began writing.

Draco,

Your mother and I wanted to say how proud we are of you. I know you were probably expecting me to visit personally and throw a fit. But your mother, in her way, talked me down. You know how scary she can be when she starts threatening to hex. While I would have preferred you to continue the Malfoy tradition, your mother said something that made a whole lot of sense. While I protested that the Sorting Hat is off its nutter and defective, she pointed out that it was enchanted by four of the brightest witches and wizards Britain has ever seen and it isn’t likely to make a mistake. So, I want you to know, that we are proud of you and we love you, son. I was also instructed to send along some cakes from the kitchen. Share them with your friends.

Our love,

Father and Mother.

Lucius folded the letter and slid it into an envelope, sealed it with the Malfoy crest and called for an elf. “Send several of the freshest cakes from the kitchens, along with this letter to Draco at Hogwarts, first thing in the morning.” The elf bowed, nose brushing the floor, before disappearing with a pop. Lucius rose from his seat and left to go and join his wife, a new insight on life forming in his mind.

XxX

Hermione’s head slipped from Draco’s shoulder and she jerked awake, gasping at the shock of being pulled from a deep sleep. After she and Draco had agreed to just sit in silence, he had drifted off to sleep. She had stared into the flames as he had insisted, but the heat from the fire, the full stomach, and comfort she felt being so close to him had lulled her into an easy sleep as well.

Once she recovered from her abrupt wake up call, she stretched her body out, yawning widely. She looked around the common room, finding it empty. Her eyes landed on a grandfather clock in the corner. No wonder it was empty, it was two in the morning. She nudged Draco, calling his name quietly. “Draco. Draco, wake up.”

He squeezed his eyes tighter then opened them, blinking rapidly, looking over at her. He looked a bit dazed and certainly confused. “What? Is something wrong?” She smiled, brushing her hair back. “We fell asleep on the couch. It’s two in the morning. We need to go to bed. Classes start in the morning.” He did the same clock check she did and his eyes widened. “Wow, okay.”

He stood up, stretching his body, then holding his hand out for Hermione. She took it with a smile and they headed towards the dorms. She turned to hug him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Draco.” She turned and went for the stairs to the girls dorm with a grin tossed over her shoulder. “Goodnight, Hermione. See you in the morning.”

Hermione climbed the stairs to the dormitory and slipped in quietly, finding the only empty bed and dropping into it utterly exhausted. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Draco was truly okay. She hoped that his father wouldn’t be too disappointed or hard on him for not being in Slytherin. It was with those thoughts floating around in her mind that she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I am sorry it took so long. I just couldn't choose which house I wanted Draco in. And then when I finally chose, I got hung up about whether or not I was happy about it. 
> 
> Please review, it means so much!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	11. Enemies and Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Boy, my Soulies, I'll tell you, I've had a tough time lately. With some negative reviews and just some road blocks, it hasn't been an easy time with writing. But I am hoping to get out of this funk soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review!!!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Draco woke early the next morning with a headache blooming behind his eyes and a stiff neck. Today was the first day of classes, but he was more worried about when his father would arrive. He hoped it was before classes started; he didn’t want to miss anything on his first day.

He pulled the curtains back on his four-poster bed and blinked away the brightness of the sun streaming through the window. He could see that the Longbottom boy was already up and gone from the dormitory, as well as Finnigan and Thomas. So that left him with Potter and Weasley, which meant he needed to get up and out as quickly as possible.

But as he stood to get dressed, the redhead stirred. Draco sighed, shoving his legs into his trousers and pulling on the crisp white oxford shirt. He tried not to draw any attention to himself—he knew this day would be bad enough as it was. “Look what the hippogriff dragged in. Guess you decided you couldn’t avoid us forever, then?”

Don’t take the bait. Draco thought to himself, repeating it in his head like a mantra as he pulled on his tie, quickly performing the knot. “How did you handle sleeping in the same room as a muggleborn? Sleep alright? Or did you fear for your life? Do you feel dirty now?” Weasley’s annoying voice was closer.

Draco closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to keep the mantra going. But when he felt Ron’s chest against his shoulder, his breath against his ear, he bristled. Verbally taunting him was one thing, but to physically touch him was another. He turned and shoved the gangly boy in the chest, watching as he fell back into the railing that circled the stove that warmed the room.

“Stay away from me if you know what’s good for you, Weasley,” Draco snarled at him. He snatched up his wand and his robes, practically running from the dorm and down the stairs to the common room. His breathing was erratic, his heart was pounding in his chest and he was sure his eyes were wide as saucers.

That was his first brush with bullying. Before school, he’d always been around Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. Occasionally Blaise and Theo came over, and to be honest, he preferred the latter.

“Everything okay, Draco?” He looked up into the eyes of Oliver Wood and nodded. 

“Yeah, just going to take some time to adjust is all.”

Wood looked as if he understood and nodded sympathetically, “I can only imagine. I think it’s safe to say that I, as well as yourself and most of the school, were shocked when you weren’t sorted into Slytherin. That will definitely require some adjusting.” Draco sighed, running his hand over his hair, making sure it was slicked into place.

“Have you seen Hermione?” He asked, hoping he hadn’t missed her already. But when Wood gave him an apologetic look, he knew that he had. 

“Yeah, mate, she just left to go down about ten minutes ago. You want to walk down with me? I was about to leave.” Draco didn’t know whether to be grateful or balk at the invitation. While he had no valid reason to suspect the older wizard of ulterior motives, he had been raised to never trust a Gryffindor. But then again, he was one now, having been literally thrown into the lion’s den by the Sorting Hat.

“Sure. Let’s go.” He adjusted his book bag on his shoulder and moved to climb out of the portrait hole. He couldn’t help but think that the portrait hole was very inconvenient. The two unlikely companions walked side by side through the corridors until they reached the bottom of the grand staircase, where Blaise and Theo were waiting for him. Wood gave him a nod and left him with his friends.

“Hey.” Draco said, unsure what else to say. 

“Mate, what the hell happened?” Blaise asked, his eyes showing some concern. 

Draco shrugged, looking between his two friends. “I have no idea, I just…” His eyes trailed to the doors of the Great Hall, it was as if he could feel Hermione in there, laughing with someone. 

Theo’s eyes followed his and he asked, “Crabbe said you were sitting with some girl on the train. Is it the girl you were sitting by at the Gryffindor table last night?”

Draco felt a sudden defensive flare in his chest at the mention of Hermione. “Yeah, what about it?” he snapped. 

Theo held up his hands, “It was just a question, mate. But you seemed rather friendly with her. I heard she was a mudblood.” Something in Draco snapped at the derogatory slur. He moved faster than he thought he could, his wand pointed at his friend, “Don’t you dare call her that. She was adopted by muggles, but she is not a muggleborn. Got it?”

He felt Blaise trying to pull him off, but Draco wouldn’t be moved, not until Theo nodded his head. Then he let go of his friend, pocketing his wand back into his robes. He watched unapologetically as Theo rubbed the red spot on his neck. “I think that Sorting Hat did your head in, mate. You’ve gone off your rocker.”

Theo stormed off into the Great Hall, his ears red in anger. Blaise looked at him, his brows raised, “Draco, mate, your dad is going to be pissed as is. If he finds you being all friendly with that girl, adopted or not, she was still raised by muggles, he’ll flip his lid.” 

Draco sagged, feeling defeated. “There’s no need to point out the obvious, Blaise. But you wouldn’t understand it, mate. The first time I ever saw Hermione was in Malkins’.

“And the moment our eyes met there was this pull. Her Ministry representative yanked her out of the shop before we could properly meet. So when she came into my compartment on the train, I couldn’t turn her away. I didn’t want to. Blaise, I don’t understand it any more than you do, mate, but I think she’s the reason I am in Gryffindor. Not that she was directly involved. No one can manipulate the hat, but I think my desire to be near her is what put me in the lion’s den.”

Blaise looked at him like he was contemplating everything he just said, the wheels obviously turning in his mind. “Draco, I’m not going to pretend to understand this. But if your dad does show up here today, I’d suggest you keep that information to yourself. For now at least.” Draco sighed and nodded at his friend. “I plan on it, mate. C’mon, we better go and eat before we run out of time.” 

They walked into the Great Hall together, only separating when they moved to their separate tables. Draco shot Theo an apologetic stare, which he accepted with a nod. He turned his attention to the Gryffindor table, searching for Hermione. It still amazed him how easily he could find her, even in a crowd.

A smile spread across his face as he walked over to her and sat down in the space she had made. “Good morning, Hermione.” 

She leaned over and kissed his cheek with a smile, “Good morning, Draco. Sleep well?” 

He nodded, a flashback of this morning flitting across his mind. “I did, though this morning wasn’t exactly fun.”

Hermione frowned at him, “What do you mean?” 

He shrugged. “Weasley was trying to goad a reaction out of me. I tried not to react, I did. But when he came up on me and touched me, I pushed him away. Left the dormitory as fast as I could, then came down here.” The frown was still visible on her forehead and Draco reached forward, smoothing the frown away with his fingers.

“That’s awful. He didn’t seem to be the bullying type when we rode over in the boats. I’m sorry, Draco. Oh look, the mail’s here,” she finished, looking up to the ceiling. Draco wasn’t really expecting anything, since he knew that his father would likely be here soon. So it surprised him when Bubo Bubo came flying towards him, accompanied by his mother’s owl. He freed the large package from his mother’s owl, giving the bird a snack. Then he turned to give Bubo Bubo some affection, untying the letter from his leg. “What did you bring me, Bubo Bubo?”

“He’s so cute, Draco! Is that your owl?” Hermione asked, leaning over and rubbing Bubo’s head, just exactly how he liked. Draco nodded as he broke the seal, unfurled the parchment and began to read.

Draco,

Your mother and I wanted to say how proud we are of you. I know you were probably expecting me to visit personally and throw a fit. But your mother, in her way, talked me down. You know how scary she can be when she starts threatening to hex. While I would have preferred you to continue the Malfoy tradition, your mother said something that made a whole lot of sense. While I protested that the Sorting Hat is off its nutter and defective, she pointed out that it was enchanted by four of the brightest witches and wizards Britain has ever seen and it isn’t likely to make a mistake. So, I want you to know, that we are proud of you and we love you, son. I was also instructed to send along some cakes from the kitchen. Share them with your friends.

Our love,

Father and Mother.

Draco stared at the letter in disbelief. He was so in shock that he read through it several more times, unable to digest exactly what it was saying. He swallowed thickly, blinking until the words became wavy. 

He felt Hermione lean in next to him. “Draco, are you okay?” 

He shook his head and handed her the parchment. “Read this and tell me what it says. Because I don’t think I read it right.”

She took the parchment from him and read silently, he watched as her eyes moved back and forth and her lips formed the words. When she was finished, she looked over at him in awe, “He’s not coming to the school and that they are proud of you and they love you. Draco, this is a good thing! He’s not as mad as you thought!”

Draco just shook his head. “Oh no, he was mad alright, likely still is. But he was right, my mother can be bloody scary when she starts threatening to hex you.” He didn’t know what to do now. He’d been so prepared for a yelling match, not necessarily between his father and himself. But most definitely between his father and Professor Dumbledore.

He absently filled his plate, buttering his toast and then adding jam when Hermione interrupted his thoughts. “Aren’t you going to open the cakes?”   
He had actually forgotten about the cakes. He unwrapped them with a smile, they were his favorite chocolate cakes from the kitchen. “Oh, Hermione, you have to try these.” He quickly cut up the cakes, handing her a piece while getting one for himself.

When he looked across the way, he saw his roommate, Dean Thomas sitting there, the muggleborn. If he was going to be in Gryffindor, he was going to have to overcome years of indoctrinated beliefs and quickly. He met the eyes of the boy, unaware that Weasley had just walked in. “Would you like a piece as well?” Dean looked surprised to be addressed by Draco, no doubt having been told all about the Malfoy family by Weasley. 

“Yeah, sure. Thank you. I’m Dean by the way, Dean Thomas.” 

The boy held out his hand and Draco, after passing across a piece of cake, extended his hand, “I’m Draco, Draco Malfoy. It’s nice to meet you.”

Behind him, Weasley scowled, his face reddening in anger as he stormed off farther down the table and sat down. Draco passed around the rest of the cake to surrounding people, waving Blaise and Theo over to come and snag a couple of pieces. Though he had ulterior motives, it was time they met Hermione.

“Blaise, Theo, this is Hermione.” Hermione smiled at them, her hand shooting out in the air between them. “It’s so nice to be able to meet some of Draco’s childhood friends.” She said as she waited for them to shake her hand. When she started to get a crestfallen look, Draco glared at the boys. They snapped to, both shaking her hand quickly. It had seemed as if they were just shocked by how forward she was. Blaise was the one to speak. “It’s nice to meet you too, Hermione.”

Theo’s eyes wandered back to the Slytherin table and he nudged Blaise, “Snape’s handing out the schedules. We better head back. Later, Draco.” Theo left without waiting for a reply, leaving Hermione looking a bit bewildered. Blaise nodded at Draco and gave Hermione another puzzled look before leaving as well.

“They didn’t seem to like me very much,” she said sadly. 

Draco rubbed her arm, turning his attention to her and away from his retreating friends. “They’ll come around. You just have to remember, to them you’re still technically a muggleborn. Since you were raised by muggles. Oh, here comes McGonagall with our schedules. I wonder what our first class will be.”

McGonagall handed them both their schedules, smiling down at Hermione. Draco looked at his schedule and grinned. “Our first lesson is Potions. Excellent.”   
Hermione turned to look at him questioningly, “Why is that so good?” Draco’s grin widened as he looked at Hermione and, like it explained everything in the world, said, “Because Snape is my godfather.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, what did you guys think? I hope that he stays friends with Blaise and Theo, even if they are in different houses. And what about Ron's behavior? How about Draco offering cake to Dean? Please, review! Love you my Soulies!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.


	12. Fireside Chats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, my Soulies. I know, I know. It's been almost a week. I am extremely sorry. It seems I was struck by the evil writer's block. But not on this story, on Say You Won't Let Go. Apparently, I don't react well to negativity when it comes well to writing. But, anyway, here is the next installment of our lovely story. It is a rather short chapter, but I felt that it was complete and I didn't want the rest of it to feel forced. So, I hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I did. Please, leave me some love!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

October 1991

It was almost Halloween in the castle. the first month and a half of classes had seemed to fly by. Mostly, things were pretty laid back in the common room, but other times, Ron would purposely bait Draco to try and get a rise out of him. Draco still hadn’t explained what had happened between their families to cause this kind of animosity, but to Hermione, it felt like something more, something deeper.

It was Friday night and they were all sitting in the common room. Draco, Hermione and Dean were on the couch, Seamus was in an armchair, as was Harry, and Neville was lying in front of the fire. Draco and Harry had been pleasant to each other recently. They were civil when having conversations—not yet friends, but working towards it, in Hermione’s opinion.

Right now, they were talking to each other, deep in conversation about Quidditch, the wizarding sport. Hermione didn’t understand it at all, but Harry had picked up on it quickly—especially after their first flying lesson. Hermione looked over at poor Neville, who had had to be rushed to the hospital wing because of a faulty old broom. Hermione couldn’t help but play the event over in her mind.

First flying lesson

The group filed out of the castle, heading for the Quidditch pitch for their flying lesson with Madam Hooch. Hermione was nervous, her hands sweating. Draco was trying to assure her that nothing bad could happen. “All we’ll likely be doing is hovering a couple of feet off the ground. No real flying at all.” Hermione just rolled her eyes. Her stomach was in knots and she felt as if she was going to throw up her lunch, even though it had had hours to settle.

Once they arrived on the pitch, Madam Hooch told them to all line up on the right side of a broom. Hermione took her place, next to Draco, Neville filing in on her other side, looking as nervous as she did and slightly green.

As Madam Hooch explained what they were to do, shouts of “Up!” echoed around the field. Draco’s broom jumped immediately into his hand and he looked at Hermione triumphantly. She gave her broom a glare and commanded it, “Up. Up! UP!” Finally, it jumped into her waiting hand and she mounted it.

Across the way, Harry’s broom had immediately jumped into his hand, as had Ron’s. Neville was still having trouble and the Slytherins in the group were laughing at him, with the exception of Blaise and Theo. When his broom finally rose to his hand, it was wobbly and seemed reluctant. He swung his leg over the handle and looked at Madam Hooch.

“Okay, class. Please kick off from the ground, lightly. Lightly! Hover a few feet off the ground for a few seconds, touch back down and dismount. On my whistle, in three, two, one…” Her whistle blew and everyone kicked off lightly. While everyone else managed to complete the task easily, Neville’s broom continued to rise, completely out of his control.

The look on his face was of a boy completely terrified. He started to scream, “Get me down!” Madam Hooch looked helpless as to what to do and was following him around the Quidditch pitch. When he started to zoom around the pitch, she looked alarmed. He ran straight into one of the goal posts and fell from the broom. It was such a long fall and Hermione let out a piercing scream as she ran towards him.

Madam Hooch beat her there, gingerly holding his arm up, the limb dangling at an odd angle. “Oh dear, you’re going to have to be taken to the hospital wing. Class, no flying at all until I return. If I catch anyone of you with your feet off the ground, you’ll find yourself in detention faster than you can say Quidditch!” With that, she helped Neville to stand, and they walked from the pitch quickly, Neville sobbing into her robes.

When she was gone, Pansy stepped up with a clear ball in her hand, tossing it up and down gently. “Look what that oaf dropped. Looks like a Remembrall. Too bad he didn’t remember to skive flying lessons. Would’ve saved himself the embarrassment.”

She tossed the delicate sphere to Crabbe who smirked, rolling it around in his meaty hands. “Guess he won’t be needing it now.” He pulled his arm back and threw it into the air as hard as he could. Before Hermione could stop them, Draco and Harry both jumped on their brooms and went racing after it.

The Remembrall had sailed out of the Quidditch pitch. No one could see what had happened afterwards, but Draco told had told her. He had caught the thing just a hairsbreadth away from the ground in a spectacular dive.

Professor McGonagall had been coming back from Hagrid’s hut and had seen both Harry and Draco racing for it. She had marched up to both of them, all but dragged them into the castle. Draco said she had seemed mad, but had pulled Oliver from whatever class he had been in and recounted what she had seen.

The following Saturday, Harry and Draco tried out for Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It was unheard of for first years to be on the house teams. The last time a first year had played had been over a century before. Draco narrowly beat out Harry for the position, but Harry still made the team as a Chaser.

That was the first time Hermione had seen Draco and Harry be civil towards one another. It was also when Ron started targeting Draco more. Hermione could see Harry struggling to choose between his best friend and his new teammate. It was putting an undue amount of stress on him, and he asked Hermione for help with his class work just to escape Ron.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, Ron came down from his dormitory, his eyes zoning in on the group around the fire. Hermione could see the resentment fill his eyes, especially as Draco turned to grin at her, his fingers coming up to tug on one of her stray curls.

The action pulled her attention from Ron back to Draco with a grin of her own. “What?” 

“I said, what was your favorite thing to dress up as on Halloween?” Hermione smiled at him, a blush tinting her cheeks. 

“Well, when I was younger, I always dressed up as a witch. But when I was eight, I would dress up as Matilda.”

Draco raised a brow at her, “Matilda? Like the book character?” 

Hermione nodded, “It was the first time I felt understood. Even if it was only a book.” 

His look softened and he tucked her hair behind her ear. “I liked to dress up as a vampire.”

“I was a football player.” Dean chimed in.

“Gran wouldn’t let me dress up. Said that it was a stupid muggle tradition.” Neville rolled his eyes. Whenever he talked about his Gran, he would act nonchalant, but they all knew he was terrified of her. 

“You’re not alone on that, Nev. The Dursleys never cared whether I dressed up or not either. Dudley got whatever costume he liked, until he didn’t care about it anymore. I was just locked in my room with whatever candy Dudley had eaten half of.”

Everyone was silent as the conversation died down. The clock in the corner chimed midnight and Neville rose from the floor, stretching, his mouth wide in a yawn. “I think I’m going off to bed. Goodnight, everyone.” A chorus of farewells greeted him as he left, the boys started up another conversation about Quidditch, Dean joining in this time, asking questions.

He, like Hermione, knew nothing about Quidditch, but was trying to learn. Hermione twisted on the couch, resting her feet on Dean’s lap and leaning against Draco, her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed so she could just listen to the drone of the boys’ voices, but soon after, she drifted off.

XxX

Everyone else had gone up to bed, Dean had been the last to go, carefully extracting Hermione’s feet from his lap so as not to wake her. He muttered a goodnight to Draco as he left and Draco and Hermione were left alone, as they often were on the weekends. It was a common occurrence for Draco and Hermione to occupy the common room for hours on end, studying or just talking until the wee hours of the morning.

They would talk about what it was like for her, growing up in the muggle world and how different things were in their upbringings. He couldn’t believe some of the things she had told him of. Just as she couldn’t believe some of the things he had told her.

“You think you’re so special, don’t you? You, the snake in lion’s clothing. A big shot Seeker on the quidditch team when first years aren’t even allowed. Your father probably paid off McGonagall. He sure bought the school new practice brooms, didn’t he? And her? You’ve got her wrapped around your slippery little fingers, don’t you?”

The way Ron was looking at Hermione made Draco sick with rage. It was as if he wanted her for himself. Not that she was Draco’s, they were only friends. Though they hadn’t discussed it, they both knew that there was something else tying them together, something deeper.

Draco kept his voice low, trying not to disturb the girl sleeping against him. “I do not think I am any more special than someone else, Weasley. Are you really so jealous of me that you would stoop that low? Are you not jealous of Potter as well? Because he made the team as a first year too. As for my father buying the school new brooms, it was a decision made and funded by the entire governing board of the school.

“Those old brooms were a danger to the students, or do you not remember Longbottom’s little mishap? And Hermione? You know as well as I do how hard-headed, independent and strong she is. If she wants to be close to me, be my friend, then she bloody well can make up her own damn mind. Really, Weasley, I understand that our families have past history and we’re supposed to hate each other, but it’s all shite, all of it. The blood supremacy, blood traitors, every thing. Just let it go.”

Ron just looked at him from the other side of the room, hate filling his eyes. “You just don’t understand, do you? This isn’t about our families, Malfoy. This is deeper than that. Oh, so much deeper. I know you can sense it. Just as I can.” Draco blinked a few times at Ron, who had risen and headed for the dormitory once more.

Ron was right, though. Draco could feel that the animosity between him and the redhead went deeper than just their families’ feud. Draco wasn’t sure what it was, but it had to involve Hermione as well. Because not only did he feel something deeper for Hermione, but it seemed Ron did as well, and Draco wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As I said, it was a short chapter, and I really hope you enjoyed it. I obviously changed a few things from canon in this chapter too. But with this being so different, I have to change up a few things. I hope you like the changes. Let me know in the form of reviews. Please and thank you!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	13. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright Soulies, this is a bit of a continuation of the last update, just at the end of October instead. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. I'm keeping this note short as I'm about to nap and I've also got to update Say You Won't Let Go. Please leave me love!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Halloween 1991

Classes had been brutal that day for everyone. The professors were starting to pile on more homework in order to prep them for their exams, even though they were ages away. Right now, they were sitting in Charms, and Professor Flitwick was explaining a levitating charm. Draco was only half paying attention, as it was the third time Flitwick was explaining it—Ron and Finnigan were having trouble understanding.

Hermione was sat between Draco and Ron, but was paired up with Weasley, while Draco was paired with Dean. When Flitwick turned them loose to practice on their own, Dean went first, trying and failing to levitate the feather they were given. So Draco sat up a little straighter to take his turn, wand held aloft.

He practiced the swish and flick movements, for a few seconds, before taking a deep breath. At the same time, next to him, Hermione was doing the same, so that their voices rang out in sync, “Wingardium Leviosa.”

Around the room, there were loud gasps as every single feather was lifted from the desks by the combined spell, all hovering in the middle of the room, before Hermione and Draco guided the feathers back down to the desks. Flitwick turned to look at the pair, eyes wide in wonder. “V-very well done, Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy.”

Draco and Hermione shared a glance at each other and he could see Weasley sulking in his chair. “Class dismissed,” Flitwick called and everyone began gathering their things. 

Hermione leaned over to whisper to Draco, “What was that?” 

Draco shrugged, “I have no idea, Hermione. But you felt it too, like we were connected?”

Hermione looked around and as did Draco, Weasley was just leaving the classroom. “It was the strongest magic I have ever felt. I don’t know how else to explain it. We’ll go to the library before dinner so we can talk more and in private.” Draco nodded, as they left to head to the greenhouses for Herbology.

Later, after classes were over, Hermione and Draco headed for the library together after bidding farewell to their friends. Once in the cavernous library, they made their way to a table in the back corner. Hermione began pulling out her books, intent on studying, even though she was the brightest witch in their year.

“I don’t understand how that happened, Draco.” She said quietly, a tone of uncertainty in her voice. She didn’t like being in the dark. “I don’t like not understanding.”

Draco nodded with a sympathetic smile, “I know, Hermione. But that’s not exactly the first time we’ve felt connected though, is it?” He was drawn back to that day in Madam Malkin’s when their eyes had locked for the briefest of moments.

She shook her head, bushy hair flying around her shoulders. “No, it’s not. But that’s the first time it’s happened with our magic. Draco, that could get really dangerous.” She began to chew on her lip as she opened her Transfiguration book—something was bugging her. That was the only time she ever chewed on her lip.

“Hermione, there’s something else you’re not saying. What’s on your mind?” Draco moved around to sit next to her, his brow furrowed in concern. He didn’t like seeing her so distressed by something.

“The first night, on the boat ride over, when Ron and I met, we shook hands. The moment contact was made it was as if I was transported into another world. Into the past, it seemed. I was running outside on a grassy hillside, and this boy, someone named Eldric, was chasing me. We were playing and running from our parents and our lessons. It was so weird, but so real.” Hermione shuddered, her eyes closing.

Draco’s stomach dropped into his shoes at the mention of the name Eldric. He suppressed his own shudder and swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Did you say Eldric? Are you sure that was it?”

Hermione opened her eyes to look at him, a curious expression on her face. “Yes, why?”

Draco rose from the chair he had occupied and moved around to his book bag. As a last-minute decision, he had decided to pack the book he had found when he was eight. “You obviously know who the founders are, right?” When she nodded, he sighed and continued. “Well, I don’t know how much you know, but Helga and Godric were married and had a son named Eldric.”

He heard her gasp and looked up at her, her hands over her mouth. Draco nodded and handed over the book. “I found this in our library at the Manor when I was eight. Back then, when I read it, I fell asleep and started dreaming about it, as if I had lived it. But I still just thought that it was some wizard taking facts, twisting them around and adding their own made up content for money.

“Because nowhere in our history, and I mean nowhere, does it support what is written in that book. Which is that Salazar and Rowena were in a relationship as well and had a daughter named Seraphina.”

At the mention of Seraphina, Hermione’s eyes glazed over, as she stared off into space. Draco stopped talking and watched her. It was as if she had taken a mental vacation at the mention of the name.

XxX

“Seraphina! Come back here!” her mother called behind her as she ran. There were hot tears streaming down her face as she ran. She had no idea where Eldric was and she didn’t care at the moment. Their entire world had just been turned upside down by their parents.

They had gathered for Seraphina’s fourteenth birthday, to have a nice meal, as they did every year for both hers and Eldric’s birthdays. The dinner had went well; they had all been laughing and talking as usual. Until her father had cleared his throat. He turned his clear blue eyes to Seraphina, “Now that you are also fourteen, we can finally tell you both.”

“Tell us both?” Eldric asked, looking at his own parents. “What is he talking about, Father?” 

Godric cleared his own throat. “Well, son, as you know, we will begin construction on Hogwarts soon. While your mother and I, as well as Salazar and Rowena will, Merlin willing, be around for quite a while longer, there will come a time when we are no longer capable of running the school.”

Seraphina’s breathing picked up as she realized where they were going with this. She began to shake her head as her father swung his gaze back to her. “Yes, my child. I know your bright mind has already deduced where this is headed. When you were both but toddlers, we devised a marriage contract for the two of you. You, Seraphina and Eldric will be wed. Once you both turn eighteen.” 

“I will not!” Seraphina yelled, jumping from her chair and running off.

“Hermione? Hermione!” She sucked in a deep breath as she came out of the vision or whatever it was. Draco was shaking her by her shoulders, a worried look on his face. She fell forward into Draco’s arms, tears falling down her face as she continued to feel the emotions of Seraphina’s devastation that night.

Draco rubbed her back for a minute with a frown as she cried. “Hermione, what’s wrong?”

Hermione sat up, brushing her hair back as she took a deep breath. “I had another vision or whatever it is. This time, it was Eldric and his parents. As well as Salazar and Rowena. I must be in the visions as Seraphina. I really don’t understand this, Draco. What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?”

She looked up at Draco with tearful eyes and he rubbed her shoulders, “There’s nothing wrong with you, Hermione. I have dreams that involve Seraphina as well, though I can never see her face clearly. So, it isn’t just you. Come on, we have to get down to dinner.”

Draco began to help her gather her things, handing her the book, as she put her notes away. Then they left the library in silence, Hermione still shaken from what had just happened. When they reached the first floor, she stopped at the entrance to the bathroom. “You go on ahead, I’ll be in shortly. Just want to freshen up a little bit.”

She could see Draco looking at her reluctantly, but he nodded and gave her a hug. “I’ll save you a seat, okay?” She nodded in answer as she watched his back while he headed for the Great Hall. When he was out of sight, she disappeared into the bathroom and made her way into a stall, locking herself in.

She sat her bookbag on the floor and perched herself on the toilet. The emotions from the vision were still overwhelming her and even now, her eyes were watering, the tears starting to spill over. She buried her hands in her face and began crying again. She was beginning to think that Seraphina had been a real person, just as Eldric had been.

XxX

“Where’s Hermione?” Harry asked when Draco arrived at the dinner table. 

Draco looked around at all the Halloween decorations and couldn’t help but smile. “She’s in the bathroom. She’ll be out in a few minutes.”

A few minutes turned into a half an hour and Draco had began to worry. The feast had begun and everyone around him was eating heartily, but he was picking at his food and glancing at the doors of the Great Hall.

Every minute that passed by with no sight of Hermione put him on edge. He was on the verge of going to check on her when Professor Quirrell came running into the Great Hall stuttering and shouting, white as a sheet, “T-t-troll! T-troll in the d-dungeon!” As the professor hit the floor in a dead faint, the Great Hall erupted into a screaming panic.

Draco turned to Harry with wide eyes, “Hermione! She’s in the bathroom and doesn’t know about the troll! We have to go get her!” 

At that moment, Dumbledore cast his voice around the hall, “SILENCE! Prefects, please escort your houses to their dormitories. Slytherins, you may remain in the Great Hall.”

The rest of the school started filing out of the Great Hall after the professors swept out first. In the midst of the chaos, Draco and Harry slipped free of the crowd and sprinted towards the bathroom where Hermione had been. They stopped short when the giant shadow of the troll hit the wall. They stepped into an alcove, hiding themselves from the troll.

They watched in horror as it ducked into the bathroom. “We have to go and help her!” Harry whispered frantically to Draco. Draco nodded, it had already crossed his mind. They were likely going to get seriously injured or die, but as long as Hermione was safe, he would gladly lose his life.

Harry and Draco left their hiding space and sprinted towards the bathroom. The stench of the troll took Draco’s breath away, but Hermione’s scream of terror made him forget about it in a heartbeat. “Hermione!”

The troll turned his attention from the bushy haired girl to Draco and he couldn’t have been happier. “Run, Hermione!” But she just stood there, rooted to the spot in terror. The troll lifted his club and swung it at Harry and Draco, who dove out of the way. There was the sound of crashing and the sound of spraying water, which soaked both Draco and Harry.

Then, clear as day, Hermione’s voice rang out, “Wingardium Leviosa!” Draco looked up in time to see the club slip out of the trolls uplifted arm, hover in mid air, then drop on its bald head. The troll's eyes rolled back in its head and he started to fall towards where he and Harry were sprawled on the floor.

Draco and Harry scrambled out of the way, just in time for the mass of flesh and bone to crash into the floor. The boys exchanged a look, eyes wide before looking at Hermione. “Is-is it dead?” She asked, but moments later, the beast let out a snore and Harry shook his head. “Just knocked out.”

There was a commotion in the doorway of the bathroom as the professors arrived and they all looked shocked to find three first years surrounding an unconscious troll. “What on earth? Explain yourselves!” McGonagall demanded.

The boys immediately started stuttering under the stern glare of their head of house, but Hermione once again came to their rescue. “I’m sorry, Professor. I was late to dinner, I wasn’t feeling well and stopped by the bathroom first. Draco had been with me in the library and I had told him I would join him in the Great Hall. But I lost track of time. I didn’t know about the troll so the boys came to warn me. But it was too late, the troll was already here in the bathroom with me.”

McGonagall’s eyes narrowed as they darted between her star pupil and the boys, but as she was about to say something, Hermione continued. “I was frozen to the spot, terrified. But Draco yelled my name and the troll’s attention turned to them, that is when it swung its club and destroyed the sinks. While it was distracted, I used the levitating charm Professor Flitwick taught us today and used its club to knock it out. So, really, if it hadn’t been for the boys, I’d be dead.”

It was hard to say who was more shocked, Draco and Harry or McGonagall. Sure, Hermione had told the truth, but she was trying to divert the blame from him and Harry onto herself. “Well, I don’t know whether to call you boys either brave or stupid, but from what Miss Granger says, I can see that you wouldn’t have had time to run and find help. Especially with all of us already searching for the troll.”

“I commend you on the bravery it took to face down a fully grown mountain troll to save your friend. I’ll give the three of you five points to Gryffindor each. Now, off to bed with you before it wakes.” The three exchanged looks and took off, grateful for the reprieve they had been granted.

Once they were out of sight of the professors, Draco pulled Hermione to a stop and into his arms. He couldn’t help it, the need he had to hold her at that moment was too powerful to deny. “I was so scared that something bad would happen to you. I told Harry we had to go and get you. I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

He could feel her gripping his robes and her frame was shaking in his arms as she sobbed into his neck. “I was too. I couldn’t stand to see you hurt. You or Harry, so I had to do something. Oh Merlin.” Draco frowned, sharing a worried glance with Harry. This was going to be a long night—Hermione was definitely going into a state of shock.

He all but carried her back to Gryffindor tower. He climbed into the portrait hole before her, and Harry helped her in. When she came out on the other side, Draco was there to catch her when she stumbled. “Harry, could you go look in my trunk and there is some chocolate in there. Would you bring it down?”

Harry nodded and left while Draco led Hermione over to the couch. He was glad the fire was roaring, because her shaking hadn’t let up. He sat down, pulling her into his arms, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. When Harry returned with the chocolate, he took the spot at her feet and moved them into his lap, removing her shoes.

Draco held the chocolate up to her and spoke quietly, “Here, eat this, the sugar will help with the shock.” He watched as her trembling fingers slowly stretched out, taking the brick of chocolate and she began to nibble on it.

Harry was rubbing her feet as Draco rested his head against hers and kept rubbing her back. When she had eaten all she could of the chocolate, he took it from her and set it aside. Soon, her shaking stopped and her body sagged into his. As her breathing deepened and evened out, he knew she was asleep.

Harry snagged a blanket from his end of the couch and they spread it out over her. Draco looked at his new friend and gave a tired smile, “You can go on to bed, I’ve got her.”

The dark-haired boy shook his head, “After the night she’s had, I’m not going anywhere. She’s been there for me a lot this year, it’s my turn to pay her back.” Draco nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. It looked like he just gained a hell of a lot more respect for Harry Potter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, keeping it short. I hope you enjoyed. There are a couple of things below. One is an answer to a guest review. The second is just a short thank you. Until next time.
> 
> Guest JR- In a way, yes, Ron is Eldric’s descendant. But it is a little more intricate than that. Whereas Draco is Thatcher’s descendant as well, he also has Thatcher’s true soul. The same is to be said for Ron. He is Eldric reincarnated. Though both are without their memories from their previous lives, their souls can feel the other.
> 
> Chester99- I want to thank you, again, for pointing out the detail that you did. Your keen eye allowed me to remedy the problem. Thank you so very much!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	14. Fluffy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello Soulies!! Update time!! So, I just wanted to let you know why updates have been a little slower, I am participating in a couple of things for a couple of groups. The first is Spring Fest over on the Strictly Dramione 18+ facebook group and the second is the April Fool's Day OS Comp over on the Beyond the Book Fanfiction Nook 18+. So I have been focusing on those as they have due dates. I appreciate you being patient with me, though.
> 
> In this chapter, we have another event from the first book, reimagined for my own use. And yes, I am aware that the two events were backwards, but with Draco now being in Gryffindor, it had to play out differently as what lead to this event didn't happen in my story. I hope you enjoy the way I reworked it as much as you seemed to enjoy the troll.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!

Hermione, Draco and Harry were sitting in the library at their usual table in the back. Hermione was studying intently, but Harry and Draco were talking about how that troll had been able to get into the castle a week ago.

“It could have got in on its own,” Harry suggested.

Draco shook his head, “No, mate, trolls are dreadfully stupid. It wouldn’t have been able to figure out how to get in on its own. Someone had to let it in.”

Hermione sighed softly, already annoyed with the boys’ banter while she was trying to study. She was already biting her tongue to keep from snapping at them. She was working on a particularly long essay set by Professor Binns. It was dull and boring, but she wanted to get it done quickly. “Draco’s right, Harry. Mountain trolls are exceptionally dim and there is no way that it would have gotten in, much less past the boundary wards, on its own.”

Harry sat back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then I bet Snape did it. He seems like the type that would do it. I don’t know why he hates me as much as he does. It’s been like that since school began. Do you remember the first day of potions? He called me out when I was simply writing notes. Asked me questions that he knew I couldn’t possibly know the answers to.”

Draco sat up straighter in his chair, leaning in towards Harry. “He wouldn’t do that, Potter. You don’t even know him.”

Draco only called Harry by his surname when he was annoyed or getting angry with him and Hermione had to step in before it got out of hand. “Draco, Harry, that’s enough. But Harry does have a point. You two didn’t see it, but he was bleeding on his leg. He had a rip in his pants and there was a nasty looking gash on his leg.”

Harry frowned when he processed what Hermione said, “See, Malfoy. I told you. He probably had something to do with it.”

Again, Draco shook his head. “It had to have been someone else. An older student that wanted to play a trick on the school. But what I don’t understand is how the bloody thing ended up in the dungeon. Quirrell said he found it in the dungeon, and what was he even doing in the dungeon in the first place? I bet it was Quirrell.”

Hermione couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips. “Quirrell, let the troll in? He fainted in the Great Hall after alerting everyone. He jumps if he doesn’t know you’re behind him. There’s no way he’s got the nerve to get near a troll voluntarily.”

“It could all be an act on his part. People fake things all the time.” Draco reasoned. 

Hermione closed her book, giving up on trying to finish her essay. “All this speculating isn’t going to do anything. The troll got in, we took it down, the professors got rid of it. It’s all over now. No need to keep stewing on it. We have homework to complete, after all.”

Draco turned back to Harry and returned to discussing the troll. “We could go out tonight and look for the way that it was let in. It would be fun to roam the castle at night anyway. But we’d have to watch out for the prefects.”

Harry grinned at Draco, a mischievous glint in his green eyes. Hermione was glad they were becoming friends, but this idea was a bad one. “Maybe we can sneak up to the third floor and see why it’s off limits as well.”

“Absolutely not! I forbid it, you two. It’s against the school rules. You could get caught and get house points deducted. Or detention, or expelled.” Hermione was practically fuming at the ears. She started hastily stuffing her things back into her book bag. “We’re going to be late for dinner. Let’s go.”

The boys exchanged a look, still grinning at each other. “Okay, Hermione, we won’t sneak out. We promise.” Draco said, making sure that she didn’t look up to see him still grinning.

XxX

It was well after midnight when Harry and Draco snuck out of their beds and entered the common room. Neville was snoring in an armchair by the fire and the boys were careful not to make any noise on their way to the portrait hole.

Once on the other side, they turned and gave each other a high five, grinning widely at their victory. They started for the grand staircase, but only made it a few steps down when a whisper caused them to whirl around. “I can’t believe you two imbeciles!”

Draco had to bite back the groan in his throat when he saw Hermione emerging from behind a statue. “Oh come on, Hermione, we have to know.”

“So you’re going to risk getting to stay at Hogwarts by trying to find how a troll got in on the first floor and in the dungeons, then traipse up to the third floor to see why it has been forbidden?” Hermione had her hands on her hips, standing her ground. When she saw she was getting nowhere, she huffed, throwing her hands up. “Fine! You want to get expelled, go! I’m going to bed!”

In a flurry of bushy hair, she turned from the boys and marched back towards the portrait. The boys shrugged at one another and continued down the steps. They kept quiet and kept their eyes open. Only when they made it to the fifth floor did they hear the footsteps behind them.

Both of them whirled around and pointed their wands at the culprit, only to find Hermione behind them. She squeaked and held her hands up in surrender. “It’s just me.” 

The boys frowned, lowering their wands instantly. “Hermione, what are you doing? I thought you were going back to the dormitory,” Harry asked.

She blushed and crossed her arms on her chest, “Well, I was, but the stupid fat lady wouldn’t let me back in. Said she didn’t recognize me, but I know she did! She was just mad because I woke her up. And I wasn’t going to wait for a prefect to find me out of bed. If I’d have stayed, I’d have been a sitting duck.”

Draco grinned at her, “Admit it, you’re just as curious as we are.” Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and didn’t say a word, but the look in her eyes said it all.

“We’re never going to figure out how the troll got in, it’s just not going to happen. If you two are set on doing this, then I say we just go to the third floor.” Her stance was strong, but Draco wouldn’t be swayed and one look at Harry said that he wouldn’t either. A nod from Harry put the boys back in motion and she could choose to follow if she wanted.

Harry and Draco shared a grin when they heard her footsteps following them. They reached the fourth landing, all three of them surprised that they hadn’t encountered a prefect yet.

They were just about to bypass the third floor landing when Peeves the Poltergeist made an appearance, Hermione gasped in surprise, covering her mouth quickly. That only drew Peeves’ attention. “Oooh, ickle wee Potty is out of bed. And the young Master Malfoy and the smarty pants Graaaanger. Filch will love to know where you are. I’m going to get him.”

They watched in horror as Peeves zoomed off, no doubt in search of the caretaker, Mr. Filch, and his cat, Mrs. Norris. The three of them started running back up the stairs to the third floor corridor—it was the closest, after all. When they got to the first door, it was locked and the boys looked around, panicking.

“Oh, move over!” Hermione almost bellowed, drawing her wand. She pointed it at the door and made a practiced movement. “Alohomora!” There was a click and an the door creaked open, Draco pushed it wide and ran in, holding it open for Hermione and Harry to run through.

When they were clear, Draco slammed it shut and sank against its panels. The room was dark and damp and they were all panting heavily, so they didn’t hear the breathing that accompanied theirs—not until they heard a low growl. With a shaking hand, Hermione raised her wand and whispered, “Lumos.”

The tip flared to life, igniting the room in light, and they were met with a sight they weren’t prepared for. A giant, three-headed dog with four feet, three snarling mouths filled with too many sharp teeth to count, and drool slowly dripping from its jowls. It started barking loudly and coming after them. Draco quickly fumbled with the door, getting it open and all but falling out, Hermione and Harry following.

Hermione flung her wand at the door and it slammed shut, locking itself once again. They all laid in a pile on the floor, clutching at their chests, while their hearts beat wildly. “What the bloody hell was that thing?” Harry asked.

“We can debate that later. Right now, Filch is likely on his way and we can't be caught!” Hermione said as she stood up, her hand pushing into Draco’s stomach, knocking the wind from him and causing him to grunt. “Sorry,” she muttered, dusting her pajamas off.

Draco got up at the same time as Harry and the three of them started rushing for the seventh floor.

When they stopped in front of the Fat Lady, she was snoring loudly and Draco quietly cleared his throat. The woman in the portrait roused, jerking  from her sleep, looking around frantically, “What is it? Is my hair on fire?”

They watched as she patted her ridiculously piled hair before she focused on them. “Oh, sweet Draco. How nice to see you. You know you shouldn't be out this late.”

He nodded apologetically at the Fat Lady. “I know and I am deeply sorry, Madam Emmeline. It won't happen again. I promise. May we please return to the common room? We're all terribly tired.”

She eyed the three of them, a look of disdain on her features. “I suppose, but you know I need the password. And I should like an apology from the girl. She was extremely rude earlier.” Her nose turned up in the air. 

Draco turned to give Hermione a pleading look. Her own nose up in the air, but she sighed and gave in. “I am extremely sorry, Madam. I was simply trying to keep these two from breaking curfew and was upset that I couldn't.”

The Fat Lady seemed to accept her apology and turned her eyes back upon Draco. “Very well. Password?”

“Pig snout.” Draco recited, watched as the portrait swung forward and they all clambered through as quickly as they could.

Once they were safely inside and Hermione turned on them. “If you two EVER dare to do something like that again, I will go to Professor McGonagall. Don't think I won't! That was stupid and reckless. Now, I am going to bed before you two come up with another brilliant idea that could get us killed. Or worse, expelled!”

She stormed up the stairs to the girls dormitory and disappeared. The noise woke Neville, who was still sleeping in the same chair. He sat up, hair sticking up all over the place, rubbing his eyes. “Is it time for breakfast?”

Draco chuckled and shook his head. “No, it's not. Go on up to bed, Nev. You're gonna get a crick in your neck.”

The sleepy boy rose, looking around the common room before heading for the stairs. “If you see Trevor, put him in his cage for me.”

Both Harry and Draco nodded, “We will. G’night, Nev.” They watched the boy disappear before moving to collapse into the armchairs. Harry took the one Neville had just vacated.

“What are they doing, keeping that thing locked up in a castle full of students?” he asked, staring into the embers of the dying fire. Draco shrugged, his own eyes drifting to the red-orange glow. “No idea, mate. No idea. Once Hermione cools off, I reckon she'll have plenty of theories. You know she won't let this go. I'm off. G’night.”

Harry mumbled a goodnight as Draco rose and headed for his own bed. He left the boy who lived to his own devices. Draco was too exhausted to try and work out what had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! I know I certainly enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	15. Christmas Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello Soulies! Long time, no see, I know. But as I said, I'm focusing on the Spring Fest I'm entered in. The only reason I'm still updating Say You Won’t Let Go twice a week is because those chapters are pre-written. And I'm about to run out of those.
> 
> Anywho, here is the next chapter of Soul Bound. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!

The previous couple of months had flown by for the students at Hogwarts, and now December was nearing its end, Christmas approaching. The castle was abuzz with excitement about the coming holiday and how the students would get to go home to see their parents. But Hermione had noticed Harry slipping into a depression over the last few weeks as the conversations picked up.

She knew he would be staying behind and not returning to his aunt and uncle's house for the holiday. Of course, she couldn’t blame him; he’d only be miserable there. She’d never met the Dursleys, but from Harry’s explanation of the trio, they didn’t sound like very pleasant people.

It was the last week of term and Hermione was beginning to wish she hadn’t told her parents that she would come home for Christmas. She didn’t think Harry deserved to be left alone on her favorite holiday. She knew Draco would be going to Malfoy Manor, Dean would be going home, as would Neville and the rest of their dorm mates.

Gryffindor tower would be virtually empty.

From her seat in the library, Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, flipping a page back and forth in her Defense Against the Dark Arts book. “You’re going to chew that lip right off, Granger.” Hermione jumped at the sound of the voice, her head jerking up. The dark, smiling face that greeted her automatically made her a little uneasy.

She had had some interaction with Blaise Zabini throughout the year, because of Draco’s friendship with him. He seemed nice enough in Draco’s presence, but she had never been alone with him and he made her leery now. However, Madam Pince was just around the corner should she need her.

“Hello, Zabini. Is there something I can help you with?” Hermione asked, straightening a piece of parchment.

He chuckled quietly, leaning his hip against the table. “Nah, Granger, I just wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin, unsure if she should believe him or not. “I’m doing fine, thanks. But I don’t understand why you had to check in on me.” She tilted her head, studying the boy before her.

Blaise glanced around the deserted library, just making sure they were alone before he spoke. “Granger, I don’t know how much Draco has told you, but witches and wizards from mud...muggle families, like yourself, aren’t widely accepted throughout the wizarding community.”

“I know that, Zabini. Mr. Shacklebolt told me things, as well as what I read in books. Plus what I have learned from Draco and others here at school.” Hermione answered, crossing her arms over her chest. “But what does that have to do with you checking in on me?”

“Those people, the ones who were You-Know-Who sympathizers, they wouldn’t think twice of harming people like you, Granger. Even if you are a half-blood, or even a pureblood. You were raised by muggles, and that is all they see. Unfortunately. Just watch your back around some of their kids is all I’m saying.” Blaise shrugged as if it were nothing, but she could see the worry in his dark eyes. He truly did care for Draco and, by extension, he cared for her as well.

She nodded, acknowledging his warning, “Thank you, Blaise.”

He gave her his own nod, retreating into the stacks as if he’d never been there at all. “Hermione? You in here?” Draco called, rewarded with a hiss to be quiet from Madam Pince. Hermione giggled quietly when he rounded the corner to see her, his face red from the scolding he’d received.

Hermione waved at him and smiled, speaking quietly, “Hey, you.”

He sat down ungracefully into the chair across from her, sighing heavily. “Hey, what are you studying?” She lifted her DADA textbook up to show him, trying to hide her swirling emotions from her recent encounter.

“Ah, yes. Quirrell and that st-t-tu-p-pid es-s-say.” Draco rolled his eyes as he slumped in his chair. If Hermione didn’t know any better, she’d say he was pouting.

“What has your knickers in a twist?” She asked, placing her book back down on the table. He huffed and ran a hand over his slicked back hair. Hermione rolled her own eyes, wishing he wouldn’t wear his hair like that, it looked ridiculous.

“Parkinson just called me a blood traitor in the hallway.”

Hermione frowned, it seemed as if Blaise’s warning had come at the perfect timing. Or perhaps he had overheard what had transpired between Draco and Pansy. “Don’t listen to her, Draco. Blood status means nothing and you know it. Dean is a better wizard than Pansy is a witch and has proved it all year.”

Draco nodded, but still looked put out and Hermione sighed. She knew she couldn’t bring him out of his funk that easily. After all, he’d had eleven years of blood supremacy ingrained into him, only to have his life turned upside down when he’d been sorted into Gryffindor, which the Slytherins lovingly—or not so lovingly—called the “blood traitor house”. The only thing worse, according to them, was Hufflepuff.

It baffled Hermione how large the dissection of the houses were. There should be unity between the houses, except for on the Quidditch pitch or when battling for the House Cup. But alas, such was the way of the world, unfortunately, and it could not be changed.

“You haven’t exactly been yourself the last week either. What’s on your mind, Hermione?”

She frowned, a sigh leaving her lips once again. She had finished reading the book Draco had given her about Eldric Gryffindor, Seraphina Slytherin and a Thatcher Black. Ever since then, she had felt a little off. She constantly had dream after dream that she couldn’t place, and they all felt connected to a girl named Seraphina. She didn’t know if it was just her overactive imagination or not. She had done something similar when she’d read Matilda, but this just felt different.

That, coupled with worry for Harry, had her so far from her normal self that she didn’t really know up from down. But she started with the simplest of things first. “I’m worried for Harry.”

It was Draco’s turn to frown at her. “Why?”

“I don’t want him to be here alone for Christmas. I offered to write home to my parents and ask if he could stay with us for the holiday, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Said he didn’t want to impose. I said he wouldn’t be imposing and that they wouldn’t mind, but he still wouldn’t have it.” Hermione began chewing her lip once more, picking at a piece of dry skin on the corner.

Draco was watching her, an intense look in his eyes. “I’ll write home before dinner and tell mum that I’m bringing a friend home for the holidays. She won’t mind. Then he’ll have no choice, because she’ll already have said yes and be expecting him.”

Hermione sighed and shook her head, “That won’t work, because he’ll know you talked to me and that I told you I already offered.”

A wicked grin spread across Draco’s face, “Fine, then I’ll write my mum and tell her that I am bringing home a friend. I’ll tell her to write back and tell me to bring home my friend that will be staying behind for Christmas. That she is so looking forward to meeting him. Then he’ll have no choice.”

“Draco…” Hermione wrinkled her nose at his suggestion, his Slytherin tendencies coming out to play. “That’s very manipulative. But it could most definitely work.” She sighed softly, shaking her head as she started to braid her hair—a nervous habit she had picked up from Parvati Patil.

“It was assumed I’d be in Slytherin for a reason, Hermione. Now, I know you, so I know that that’s not all that’s been bothering you. So please, talk to me.” His tone turned worried, as did his eyes. They had tried countless times already, well into many nights and early mornings, to try and figure out what their connection was.

They knew that they were magically connected somehow. It was just too big of a coincidence for them not to be connected. They had practiced together several times, saying a spell in sync, as they had with the levitating spell. Each time, the spell had magnified. For safety’s sake, though, they had performed the magic outside, near the edge of the Forbidden Forest with Harry and Hagrid looking on.

“I finished reading that book you gave me. I still feel as if I am connected to Seraphina somehow. I don’t know if maybe I could be a descendant? But being adopted, I don’t know my history. It frustrates me so much. I don’t like not understanding something, Draco. I loathe it.” Unwittingly, her eyes started to fill with tears.

Draco came over to wrap her in his arms and gave her a good hug. “I told you, Hermione, nowhere in our history or any of the family lineage of either Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, or my own Black family tree, is any mention of a Thatcher Black or Seraphina Slytherin. They would have been mentioned somewhere. I’m sure of it. Especially Seraphina. A daughter of two founders of Hogwarts. There is no way they would have let her name fade into oblivion.”

Hermione hugged Draco back before pulling away, wiping at her damp eyes. “I just don’t think that is true, Draco. I really don’t.”

“Well, maybe we can research this book some more after the holidays. Come on, we’re going to be late for lunch. Then after, I’m going to get you out of this castle for some fresh air. And I’ll write mum.” Draco began helping her gather her things, holding her book bag open for her. Hermione sighed softly as he slung the strap over his shoulder, carrying the heavy load for her. She followed him to lunch, happy for the distraction he would provide.

XxX

Draco’s plan went off without a hitch. His mother had written back exactly as he’d planned and Harry had agreed to go home with him for Christmas. It was the night before they were due to leave. They were all sat around the common room fire, the three of them taking up the couch with Dean and Neville in the arm chairs. “So you’re going to Draco’s, Harry?” Neville asked.

Harry nodded and Hermione smiled, leaning her head on her dark haired friend’s shoulder. She gave Draco a secret smile at their plan come to fruition. “Yeah, his mum told him to invite me. She didn’t want me to spend the holiday alone.”

“That sounds like fun. From what I heard, Draco lives in a huge manor. Right, mate? I bet there are tons of hiding places and secret rooms.” Hermione choked back a giggle as Draco rolled his eyes. “No mate, there aren’t any secret rooms. Though I do have quite a few hiding spaces. Plus, the gardens go on forever. We can fly as much as we want, Harry. Play a game or two of Quidditch every day. Oh and we have an indoor pool. So we can go swimming if we want.”

Hermione suddenly found herself jealous, she loved to swim and even had a pool of her own. But as it was outdoors, she wouldn’t be able to swim when she returned home for the holidays. It sounded as if the boys were going to have the best holiday.

She hadn’t realized she’d been frowning until Draco leaned forward and smoothed her brow with his fingers. “You’re going to give yourself wrinkles far too soon. Though there are potions and spells for that.” He chuckled quietly when she smiled at him.

Their other friends were so used to them disappearing into their own world that they continued with their own conversation, disregarding Draco and Hermione. “What had you thinking so hard?”

“It sounds like you guys are going to be having an awful lot of fun without me.” She realized then that she was pouting. With another chuckle from Draco, her bottom lip poked out further.

“You can’t stand it, can you? Not being included. Just so you know, when I wrote to mum, I told her that you might be joining us for a day or two. So she has already prepared Father, as well as linked our Floos.” Draco smiled kindly at her.

Hermione chewed on the inside of her lip at the mention of his father. “Do you really think that he won’t like me? I’m not a Muggleborn, truly. I was only raised by them.”

He nodded, patting her knee. “We all know that, Hermione. He does as well, but he has far more blood supremacy indoctrinated in his system than I have. It’s going to be hard to break that. But he’s had some time to get used to the idea since I’ve been sorted into Gryffindor and befriended you.”

With a sigh, she nodded, her head bobbing on Harry’s shoulder. “I hope my parents haven’t gone and knocked off the Floo powder or something. Oh, wait. I don’t have an owl, how will I tell you that I am coming?”

Draco grinned, “With a Floo call, of course.”

“What is a Floo call?” she asked, her curiosity piqued. His grin widened as he launched into an explanation about how to Floo call and what it entailed.

“So it’s basically your head floating in the fireplace? What if you suck in the ash and embers?” Hermione asked, horrified. Draco laughed quietly, the conversation of the other three never halting. “It doesn’t work that way, Hermione. It’s kind of like one of those, oh, what do the muggles call them? Hologram?”

Hermione tilted her head, “Is it two-dimensional or three?”

Draco thought for a moment, clicking his tongue. “Three.”

Hermione nodded and smiled, “Then it is like a hologram. I guess I understand it now. A little bit. I still think an owl would be easier.” She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking about how she would keep in touch with the boys.

“Well, I’ll probably write to you every day. I’ll just send my letter in the mornings when I wake up. Then, if you decided to come over, you can send it back with Bubo Bubo,” Draco said with a shrug and a small smile.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked, a yawn sneaking up on her. She quickly covered it up with her hand, grinning sheepishly at Draco afterward. He just smiled at her and shook his head. Lifting her feet from their curled position, he placed them in his lap. More often than not, she fell asleep down here on the couch between the two boys. It was honestly the place she felt most safe, the place where the dreams of Seraphina didn’t haunt her.

Hermione closed her eyes, adjusting her head to find a more comfortable position on Harry’s shoulder. She felt his arm come around her shoulder as Draco draped a blanket across her legs. They had this routine down to an art, so much so that Harry didn’t miss a beat in his conversation. She tried to listen in, but a few minutes later and she was out like a light.

XxX

The next day dawned and Hermione found herself still on the couch, tangled in a mess of limbs and her hair. She laughed as she extracted herself from the boys, trying to count all the times they had found themselves in that position. It was as if they were a family of sorts. With Harry, she felt as if they were like siblings. Neither of them had one, but if she did, she imagined that she and her hypothetical sibling would have a relationship similar to her and Harry.

Draco and Harry were fast on their way to becoming best friends. They were near inseparable now as it was, and that was just the beginning. She had a feeling it would be different when they came back from Christmas. As for her and Draco, well, she was unsure what to classify their relationship.

She supposed it could be put under the category as best friends, but not in the same way as her and Harry. The feelings she held for Draco were different and she knew that it had something to do with whatever bond they shared. She knew those feelings would grow and develop over time.

As it was now, though, she leaned over the boys and gently shoved them awake. It took more than a light shake to rouse these two, they slept like the dead. “Miss Granger, perhaps I could have a word first.”

Hermione had to bite down the scream that almost breached her lips at the voice of Professor Dumbledore. She turned around to face the Headmaster, a blush creeping up her cheeks. This was the first time she’d ever spoken with him one on one. “Yes sir.”

He gestured for her to follow him over to a table in the corner, and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down in the chair and murmured, “Thank you.” He took a seat across from her and smiled, “You’re most welcome, my dear. Now, down to business.” His blue eyes glanced back over at the couch where the boys were still sleeping.

“I assume you know I’m going to say that isn’t very appropriate.” He paused here, his eyes returning to Hermione and her blush returned, deepening as she nodded. “However, I won’t reprimand you for it, Miss Granger.” He chuckled at her surprised look and shook his head. “No, my dear, I am not going to chastise you for it. You see, Harry is going to be needing you in the years to come. Very much so. The bond you are creating with him now is very crucial.

“As is the bond you currently share and are strengthening with Mister Malfoy. However, I must caution you to be mindful and careful of others. History has a way of repeating itself and jealousy is a nasty beast, Miss Granger. Have a nice holiday.”

Professor Dumbledore rose, clearly through with their conversation, but he had said something that had sparked Hermione’s curiosity. “How do you know about the bond that Draco and I share? What do you mean history repeats itself?”

He turned, looking over his shoulder at her, pausing at the portrait hole. “Professor Flitwick told me of your display with the feathers, Miss Granger. As for history, well, that you’ll have to figure out on your own, in due time.” Without another farewell, he climbed free of the portrait hole and left.

Hermione got up, her mind reeling as she went to wake the boys once again. This time, she just simply shoved them from the couch, giggling when they landed on the floor, shouting in surprise.

“Come on, you dolts, it’s time to get changed for breakfast.” She left the common room for her dormitory, changing out of yesterday’s clothes into a fresh set of Muggle jeans and a jumper. When she returned downstairs, the boys were just coming down as well. They left the portrait hole together to go to the Great Hall and eat their last meal before the train ride home for the holidays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please let me know what you thought!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	16. The Manor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: HELLO MY SOULIES! I'm so excited to be back with this story! Though, getting back into the swing of things was a little difficult, I'll have to admit. So, I apologize for the short chapter. But hey! I'm back!
> 
> My entry for the Beyond the Book FanFiction Nook April Fool's Competition is up as well. Give it a read! It's a Blinny One Shot that I think you'll all enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK is Queen.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Draco, Hermione and Harry jumped off of the at King’s Cross, glad to be free of the confines of the train. As soon as Hermione’s feet touched the ground, she darted away, her hair flying behind her, and Draco’s eyes followed her automatically. It was just habit by now; he didn’t even bother looking for his parents just yet. His mother would find him anyway.

Hermione ran into the arms of a woman with hair almost as unmanageable as hers, and Draco was surprised how similar the two looked, since Hermione was adopted. If you looked closely at their facial features, though, you could tell they weren't related. Hermione released her mother and turned to a balding man with round glasses, giving him a long embrace. She looked up at him in adoration and he tapped her nose with his finger.

She looked at both of her parents, telling them something, and then looked back at Draco and Harry with a grin, waving them over. Draco tugged Harry’s arm and started walking over, just as his own mother stepped in front of them. “Draco! My darling, I’ve missed you!” 

Draco groaned as she tried to kiss his cheeks. “Mum, stop it. I’ll be right back.”

He pulled himself from her embrace and followed Harry over to Hermione and her parents. Little did he know that his mother was following them. “Harry! Draco! These are my parents, Hugh and Jean Granger.” 

Harry stepped up first, shaking their hands, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger.”

Draco took Mrs. Granger’s hand first and kissed her knuckles as was proper, before shaking Mr. Granger’s hand with a firm grip. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I’m Draco Malfoy.”

“And I’m his mother, Narcissa.” Draco groaned at the sound of his mother’s voice, closing his eyes.

“Your son is very well mannered, Mrs. Malfoy. And handsome to boot. Hermione has told us so much about him and Harry in her letters. She has also mentioned that you’ve so graciously opened your home to her over the holidays for her to visit during the day a few times. We are so happy to see her making friends. She didn’t fit in at her old school, so we eventually took her out and I did her lessons at home. Hugh and I were so worried that she would just bury herself in her schoolwork and not make any friends.” Jean finally paused to take a breath and Hermione was blushing as red as a tomato.

“Now Jean, that’s enough of that. The woman doesn’t need Hermione’s whole backstory. But we are thankful for the invitation you extended. That was very courteous of you and your husband.” Hugh placed his arm around his wife’s shoulders and smiled at Narcissa.

“Well, you certainly don’t need to thank me, Mr. Granger. It was all my sweet boy’s idea. He has certainly surprised his father and I this year in many ways. From what he has told me of your Hermione, she is a very smart and sweet girl. I can’t wait to get to know her over the holiday.” Narcissa rested her hands on Draco’s shoulders and he wanted to move from her touch. Why did she always have to embarrass him? He was sure his pale skin was now red.

“Hermione, I'll send Bubo Bubo over as soon as we get to the Manor with a letter, okay?” He had to get away from this embarrassment. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Hermione--the thought alone almost made him panic--but he knew she would be okay. She'd be with her parents and she could come over every day if she wished. And oh, how he hoped she did.

Harry and Hermione embraced for a moment before she turned to Draco with a smile. Normally, a hug between them was as easy as breathing, but today, under the scrutiny of their parents, it was a bit more awkward. Draco took Hermione into his arms and hugged her for too brief a moment, before letting her go. “See you soon, Draco, Harry.”

With a wave, Hermione was gone with her parents and Draco turned to look up at his mum. “Mum, you didn't have to follow us over! I said I'd be right back.” 

His mother gave him a stern look, popping him on the back of his head, “Draco Lucius Malfoy, you know better than to address your mother as such. Do not think that you are grown just because you have gone off to school out from under my watchful eye. Now, introduce me to your other friend.”

XxX

Draco looked properly chastised as he reached back to smooth his hair back into place, a slight pout on lips that were so like her own. He turned to the boy with unruly dark hair, round glasses and emerald green eyes, “Mum, this is my mate, Harry Potter.”

Narcissa stopped breathing for a moment as she stared down at the boy looking up at her, a smile on his face as he politely held his hand out to her, waiting to greet her. Oh, Lucius was going to have a field day with this when she brought the two boys home. She jerked herself back into action, before her pause was too noticeable, and placed her hand in the small boy’s open palm. He mimicked Draco’s earlier movements with Mrs. Granger, by kissing her knuckles. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for allowing me to stay at your house over the holidays.”

Oh no, she thought, this boy is going to worm his way into my heart over these two weeks, I just know it. She smiled down at him, pulling her hand free and reaching out to gently stroke his cheek, still plump with his baby fat. “It was my pleasure. I couldn’t have you spending Christmas all alone in that tower. Come on boys, let’s head home.” As the boys each took hold of their trolleys and followed her out, she couldn’t help but feel her heart grow already to build a space for Harry. She only hoped Lucius would be able to do the same even though in the first wizarding war, his alliances had been to the dark side and Harry Potter had been the one to bring the leader down.

XxX

It wasn’t often that his mother brought the muggle car they owned, but with Draco and Harry both coming to the Manor, she couldn’t apparate them both safely. When they pulled up to the Manor’s gates, Draco looked over at Harry to find him gaping at the massive house beyond. Okay, maybe it was more of a mansion. “Draco, mate, your house is huge. How do you not get lost?”

Draco chuckled softly, popping the door open when his mother magically stopped the car, he slid free of the inside. “I did a couple of times.” Up front, his mother chuckled quietly, remembering those times as well, but not commenting. “C’mon, Harry. Let’s go change. We can go swimming.”

He saw Harry look at him incredulously, “Swimming? In December? It’s freezing, Draco! And what about our stuff, don’t we need to get it?”

Draco gave a hearty laugh, shaking his head. “Indoor pool, magically heated, Harry. I swear, muggles really do have it bad. And no, the house elves have already taken it up.” He received another questioning look from Harry, but brushed it off and started for the front doors. Harry hurried behind him, and Draco grinned. It was like his friend didn’t want to get lost.

“I’ll give you the tour later.” Draco grinned as he took the turn toward the wing he occupied, the one that felt so very lonely when he was home and his parents were on the other side of the manor. He paused by his door, opening it up for Harry to glance in. “This is my room here. And yours is the next one down.” He left his door open and walked down about ten more feet, opening the mahogany wood panel, swinging it wide.

The inside of the room was decorated in deep navy and cream. The suite was elegant and far beyond anything Harry had ever seen if his facial expression was any indication. Draco felt bad for his friend, Harry had confided in him and Hermione about where he slept when at home with his vile aunt and uncle. In a cupboard, under the fecking stairs. Draco nudged Harry’s shoulder. “Go on and change. I’ll meet you back out here in five.” Harry went in, closing the door behind him, and Draco returned to his room to change into his trunks.

Ten minutes later, they were down in the pool, floating on their backs, only talking on occasion. The sun was beaming down through the glass, warming their skin. Draco was just about to dip under to cool his torso off when Harry spoke. “You and Hermione are so close, like you’ve known each other for years, but I know you haven’t. How did you get so close, so fast?”

Draco frowned, thinking about Harry’s question. He didn’t know how to answer. He didn't know the answer himself. “We started talking on the train and just hit it off. Then all the late nights over the last few months, talking and getting to know one another more, it just brings people together, I guess.” He knew it wasn’t exactly the truth; he and Hermione both knew that it was something deeper.

Glancing at Harry, Draco saw the boy shrug. “Just seems to be more than that. And the animosity between the two of you and Ron, it’s off the charts, and nothing has really even happened to cause that.”

The blonde was surprised at his friend’s perceptiveness, but then again, Harry was around Hermione as much as he was. It was bound to rub off on both of them eventually. But Draco didn’t want to tell Harry anything unless he and Hermione had agreed on it first. He knew that Hermione already trusted Harry a great deal. After all, he had been the one to come with Draco to find her on Halloween. Draco took a deep breath. “It may be more than that, Harry. But I won’t go into that without asking Hermione first, as it involves the both of us.”

Those piercing green eyes of Harry’s narrowed at Draco, probably trying to work out what it was that could possibly be connecting his two friends. “I can respect that. Can we get some food, though? I’m starved.”

Draco chuckled and called for his favorite house elf. “Dobby!” 

With a crack, the little elf appeared, his large, round green eyes shiny and luminescent. “Master Draco! Dobby is so pleased to see you’ve returned. What can Dobby get for you?”

“We’re hungry, Dobby. Harry, what would you like to eat?” When he was met with silence, Draco turned around in the pool to find Harry, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, staring at the little floppy-eared elf. It took Draco a moment to realize that Harry had never seen a house-elf before. “Harry, this is a house-elf. They cook, clean and keep the manor running. Pretty much serve my every whim. Now, you’re catching flies over there. Close your mouth and tell Dobby what you want to eat.”

Harry recovered, shaking his head and pushing his wet hair back off of his forehead, exposing his scar. “Urm...just some sandwiches and crisps will do.”

Dobby’s green orbs got impossibly wider when they locked onto the scar on Harry’s forehead. “H-harry Potter! Such an honor.” Dobby started bowing, his nose sweeping the damp floor. “The Boy Who Lived! Who defeated He Who Must Not Be Named. Oh! I shall go and retrieve your refreshments right away.” With a pop, the elf disappeared. 

Draco rolled his eyes. “Great, now even my elf worships you.”

Harry splashed Draco with a roll of his eyes and Draco spluttered out a laugh, swimming away from his friend. He was suddenly glad that Harry had come home with him for the holidays. The manor wasn’t so lonely now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was short. Next up, I've almost finished the next chapter of Say You Won't Let Go. Please let me know what you thought.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	17. The Travel Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello Soulies! It's time for another update! I'm not going to talk your ear off with this note, I just want to say that I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!

They had swam until their fingers pruned up and Narcissa had threatened to magically force them out of the pool. But it had given her a chance to forewarn her husband. The look of shock on his face had been laughable. He, like her, had known that Draco was bringing a friend from school home. They knew the friend was named Harry, but that was a popular name throughout Britain. They never once had imagined that it would be Harry Potter. They shouldn't have been surprised by their son’s friendship with the Boy Who Lived, though.

After all, the Malfoy name was synonymous with power and hierarchy, but it was also notorious for having backed the Dark Lord through the first Wizarding War. The war had started long before Draco had even been thought about, before Narcissa had gone through numerous miscarriages. Once she had conceived Draco, she had told Lucius to pull his funding of the Dark Lord, but he hadn’t. Of course, he had kept it from her; she didn’t find out until after the Dark Lord had been defeated.  Dark times, those had been, dark times indeed. But now, here they were, the Dark Lord gone, and their son was best friends with the boy who had been the cause of the great leader’s disappearance. It was all rather ironic, really.

She looked across the table at Lucius, sitting rigidly in his chair as they awaited the boys’ arrival. “Lucius, darling, do try and relax. He's only a boy.”

Her husband turned his grey eyes upon her, clearly anguished. “Cissa, I helped the Dark Lord suss out who the Secret Keeper for the Potter family was. I am part of the reason his parents are dead. You'll have to forgive me if I am a little uptight.” His voice was biting, unintentionally so, she knew. But she couldn't help when her hackles rose.

“Then I suggest you should just go and unscrew yourself a little. I will not have that child have a rotten Christmas because you can't let go of the past. A past he doesn't even remember or likely know about,” she huffed, returning to her seat just as the doors to the dining room opened and the boys entered, their hair still dripping wet. The conversation with her husband over for now, Narcissa smiled at her pride and joy and his friend. “Did you boys have a nice swim?”

“Yes, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you again for allowing me to stay for the holidays. You as well, Mr. Malfoy.” Harry turned his attention to Lucius. Her husband’s jaw was so tense that she could almost hear his teeth grinding together. 

“Call me Lucius, Harry. Mr. Malfoy was my father. We are glad to have you. We wouldn’t want you to be in Gryffindor tower alone for the holiday. Narcissa has told me of those dreadful Muggles you live with. I couldn’t imagine. We hope you enjoy your stay here. You are welcome anytime.”

Narcissa was proud of her husband in that moment. He had put aside his earlier worries and made sure to comfort the boy and make him feel welcome in their home. Maybe, just maybe, he would find it in his heart to care for the boy as she already did.

XxX

Draco scarfed down his dinner as fast as he could, watching as Harry did the same. They had both agreed they would, in order for them to go and explore the Manor. Draco wanted to show him the travel room. When their plates had been properly cleaned, dessert savored and gone, Draco looked to his mum. “May we be excused?”

His mother narrowed her eyes at him, her gaze holding a knowing glint, but she nodded. “You may.” The boys’ chairs made loud scraping noises as they pushed them back hurriedly and began running from the large dining hall. Narcissa’s voice called from behind them, “You know which rooms you aren't allowed in, Draco!”

Draco waved an arm over his head in acknowledgement, the doors slamming behind him and Harry. “You aren't allowed in some rooms? In your own house? I mean, I'm not at the Dursley’s but that's just because they're awful.”

The blond boy shrugged his shoulders as they slowed to a walk, his mind changing directions a little now, his feet carrying him toward the owlery. “My father has some things that are very expensive and they seem to think I'll break them. But there's also been some nutters in my family, and they've lived in this manor for generations, so some rooms have curses on them. Or they might hold dark artifacts. Come on, let's go and write to Hermione first. See when she wants to come over.”

Draco could feel Harry’s eyes on him, but Harry didn't ask questions. Not like Hermione would have. He was sure those would come, though, when she visited.

The boys arrived at the owlery. The room was a third of the size of the one at Hogwarts, holding the family’s four owls. Draco smiled as Bubo Bubo flew down from his perch and nuzzled his head against Draco’s pale cheek. “Hey, Bub. Ready to go visit Hermione?” The majestic creature gave what could only be explained as a hoot of excitement and began to hop from foot to foot on Draco’s shoulder. He walked over to the writing platform jutting out from the wall, stepping under the protective covering. He lifted the quill from the inkwell and grinned back at Harry, who was reading over his shoulder.

Hermione,

We hope your holiday is going well so far. Even though it's not even the first full day yet. Harry and I went swimming when we got to the Manor. We both miss you already, it's not the same without you constantly questioning everything. Write back and let us know when we can expect you.

Our best,  
D.M.  
Harry

After Harry handed the quill back to Draco after signing his name, he moved around the owlery. Draco’s mother's owl had caught Harry’s attention, and Draco took the momentary distraction to add to the letter.

Harry asked about our connection, he senses that it's something deeper as well. We may have to tell him. I miss you terribly.  
-Draco.

Draco rolled up the parchment, tied it off on Bubo Bubo’s leg, and watched as the owl took flight to deliver their message. “Travel room?” He asked Harry, who turned to him with a big grin and nodded enthusiastically.

They left the owlery, Draco leading them through the large halls of the Manor to the travel room, throwing the door wide. He couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from his throat when Harry’s smile fell at the plain, unassuming room. The walls were painted a deep burgundy, the trim a light cream. There were no windows and no other doors aside from the one they were standing in.

“Come on.” Draco urged him in, shutting the door behind them and dousing them in complete darkness. There was no light in the room, not even from where the door should be.

“Um, Draco?” Harry asked, a slight note of fear in his voice.

Draco laughed again, his arms crossed over his chest. “Just close your eyes, Harry. Then think of anywhere in the world you want to go. Any city. Or any popular landmark.”

The frustrated sigh of his friend echoed in the room, but after a minute more in the pitch dark, the walls began to swirl with lights. In a moment, a scene coalesced before them, the sights, sounds and smells of Liberty Island filling the room. Draco tilted his head back, his eyes going up, up, up the giant green statue of America’s Statue of Liberty. “Really, Potter? Of all the great British landmarks you could have chosen, you picked a bloody American landmark?”

Draco looked over at Harry, who was grinning like an idiot. “I wanted to test range. Figured the United States was pretty far and it was what I remembered most from Muggle school.” Draco rolled his eyes, but closed them and concentrated, changing the scenery around them, taking them to a beach in Greece he'd once visited with his parents.

When the sand appeared beneath his bare feet, he grinned and sat down. “At least I picked somewhere enjoyable.” Draco took in a deep breath, the salty sea air filling his lungs and calming him.

XxX

Hermione was lounging in her backyard, nose in a book, lost in a fantasy world when Bubo Bubo arrived, perching on her bent knees, letter tied to his leg. “Hey Bub! What have you got for me?” She asked, untying the small roll of parchment. Hermione didn't have any owl treats available, but she had been munching on some fruit, so she offered a piece of melon to the bird, which he took gratefully. “That's a pretty boy.”

She unfurled the letter, smiling as Draco’s familiar scrawl filled her vision. Her eyes darted across the first part of the letter, her smile only growing with each word. She missed her boys, too. It was weird not being with them right now, after spending every day with them for the last four months.

Hermione ran her fingers along Draco and Harry’s signatures, smiling at the difference, in not only the way they signed their names, but the nuances in their writing. Her eyes then scanned the few extra lines that Draco had added, a small frown appearing on her brow. Of course Harry would have picked up on their connection; he was the one that was with them the most. It would be hard to miss the way they seemed attached to each other. And not necessarily in a romantic way.

They were really too young for that, in Hermione’s eyes. Not that the bookworm in her didn't want the fairytale ending. But she could sense that there was some old magic at work here somewhere.

A sigh left her lips as she rose from her spot, Bubo Bubo moving to her shoulder. She walked into the house, trying to find her mother. Her parents had taken the day off to come and pick her up, but they would be back to work tomorrow. Her mum had returned to work since Hermione had went away to school. “Mum?”

She found her mother napping in the den. Smiling, she shook her mother awake gently. After Jean jerked awake and got her bearings, Hermione smiled softly. “Sorry to wake you, mum. But I was wondering, since you and Daddy go back to work tomorrow, if I could go over to Draco’s and spend time with him and Harry? I promise to Floo home by dinner.”

Her mum reached forward and cupped her daughter's cheek. “My darling little girl, you truly are our treasure. Of course you may. And as long as you are home by dinner, you can go over any day we are working. Provided it is okay with Mrs. Malfoy.” 

Hermione leaned into her mother’s caress, smiling softly. “Thanks, mum. I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart.” Her mum yawned, eyes glancing at the grandfather clock. “Oh, look at the time! I must get dinner started. What would you like to eat?” 

Hermione’s eyes followed her mother's and she grinned. “Mum, why don’t we just order pizza?”

Jean Granger laughed, nodding her head at her daughter’s reasoning. “You’re right, sweetheart. It is rather late to be cooking. Pizza it is. Whose owl is that?” 

Hermione turned to look at the owl on her shoulder, smiling softly as Bubo Bubo nuzzled at her hair. “This is Draco’s owl, Bubo Bubo.” 

Jean lifted her hand tentatively, fingers shaking, and Bubo Bubo leaned his head into the trembling palm. Her mother’s face softened as the owl nuzzled her palm. “They really are beautiful creatures aren’t they?”

“Yes, mum, they are.” Both women were quiet for a moment, until Bubo Bubo gave a hoot and Hermione shook her head with a smile. “I need to go write back to Draco and Harry, let them know I’ll be by tomorrow. Oh, I’m so excited!” Hermione took off for the stairs, climbing them two at a time, a smile on her face.

Hermione sat down at her desk, pulling a piece of parchment forward, tearing off two separate pieces. She hated keeping secrets, especially from Harry, but for just a short while longer, he needed to be kept in the dark. On the first piece of parchment, she penned a letter for the both of them.

Draco and Harry,

I miss you both as well. It is odd not being around you both every second. Mum says that any time she and Daddy are working, I can come over. So long as I am home by dinner, and as long as it is okay with your mum, Draco. I’ll be over first thing tomorrow, after breakfast, around ten in the morning. Draco, you have a pool? That is wonderful, I love swimming. I’ll bring my suit, just in case we go for a dip. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

All my love,  
Hermione

Hermione set that piece of parchment aside, her eyes drifting to look out of the window over her desk. The street was lined with snow, more flakes drifting down from the grey clouds in the sky. Her mind drifted to what she and Draco knew so far of their predicament--no, that wasn’t quite the right word. That suggested that this was something they didn’t particularly want. Hermione adored the friendship she had with Draco. It was more of a puzzle, one they didn’t have all of the pieces to. One of those ridiculous puzzles with twenty-four thousand pieces that were so tiny and intricately cut so that you had to turn them every which way just to try and get them to fit.

It was all so frustrating for Hermione. She was a smart girl, usually able to figure out and solve any puzzle, equation or potion put in front of her. But one that involved her own life and she couldn’t solve it? Talk about the ultimate frustration. Perhaps having another set of eyes would help, though. Draco had said that his family had a large library at his house, which was where he’d found the book about Eldric and Seraphina in the first place. Maybe they could look over Christmas break. With a new resolve, she started her second letter, this one just to Draco.

Draco,

I am not surprised at all that Harry picked up on our bond. He’s a smart boy, despite some of his troubles in class. I think we should tell him what we suspect. Maybe we could use your family’s library over the break to try and find more books referencing Eldric and Seraphina. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I miss you, so very much.

Yours,  
Hermione

She sealed both pieces of parchment, addressed one to the boys and one to Draco, then tied them to Bubo Bubo’s leg and sent the beautiful owl on his way. She watched until she couldn’t see the owl anymore, then she picked up her book once again, the sky too dark to return outside to read. She lost herself once again in the world of the written word until her mother called her down for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I really hope that y'all enjoyed this chapter. It feels good to be writing on these stories again. I have several other works in the wings as well. I don't know when I'll be posting them, but keep your eyes peeled! I also now have a Facebook page which you can find over at facebook . Com / ElleMalfoy65. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle!


	18. So What Is Your Theory?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh boy my Soulies, this chapter is chock full of information for you guys. I hope that you thoroughly enjoy this chapter, even if it is short. I just didn't want to overload you guys. Let me know what you think. I hope you're all having a wonderful Memorial day weekend, remembering why we're all free. A huge thank you to all of the fallen, lost and forgotten soldiers that allowed us to have the freedom we have today.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Harry Potter universe. Only the plot line of this story and the original characters it may contain.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

“It’s almost eleven, where is she?” Draco whined, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace in the receiving room.

Behind him, he missed Harry rolling his eyes. “Maybe she had a lie in, mate. She’ll be here.” Harry shoved a chocolate frog into his mouth and sat back in the armchair he was in. “Besides, she’ll probably head straight for your massive library when she gets here. You know how she is. A Galleon says that’s the first place she suggests.”

Draco turned and glared at his best friend. “So what if she does?” Harry looked up at him, a frown creasing his brow, his green eyes narrowing on Draco. It was then that Draco realized he was being quite crabby. He wondered why that was, but didn’t have time to ponder it. The fireplace roared behind him, the flames turning emerald green, and Hermione flew through. Draco caught her before she shot headlong into corner of the mahogany desk across from the fireplace.

Hermione straightened herself up and dusted her clothes off, smiling over at Harry, then up at Draco. “Hello boys!” She jumped back into Draco’s arms and gave him a hug, squeezing his neck. Draco couldn’t have been happier if he’d tried; he finally felt whole again. Hermione released him and ran over to Harry, giving him a hug as well. “I’ve missed you both. What are we going to do today? Ooh, can we go to your library? You’ve told me so much about it.”

Draco caught Harry’s smirk from behind Harry’s back and flipped him a Galleon. Hermione looked at Draco questioningly. “We had a little bet that the library would be the first place you suggested. Come on, it’s this way.” Draco grinned at Hermione and held out his arm.

She looped hers through and looked back for Harry. “Coming, Harry?”

Harry grumbled something under his breath but rose from the comfortable chair he’d taken residence in. While he was making all kinds of unnecessary noises, Draco leaned over and spoke quietly to Hermione, “We can tell him in the library. Did you bring the book?” Hermione nodded as Harry caught up with them and she looped her arm through his.

“So you both just knew I’d want to go to the library, huh?” Hermione asked, looking back and forth between her two best friends. They both nodded at her, wide grins splitting their faces. She just shook her head and Draco marveled in the sight of her. It had felt like they’d been separated for years, instead of just a day.

Draco slowly lead them through the manor to the massive library, freeing his arm from Hermione’s to throw the massive double doors wide. The look of unadulterated joy on Hermione’s face was the best thing he’d seen in his life and he gestured for her to enter first. She darted in, her eyes quickly moving back and forth, shimmering with excitement. Draco couldn’t help but smile as he looked over at Harry, who rolled his eyes, “I swear, I don’t understand her fascination with books. And she’s disappeared. We’ve lost her forever now.”

A laugh left Draco’s chest, and he playfully punched Harry’s shoulder. “Nah, I know just where to find her, come on.” And he did know where to find Hermione. If they were correct in their theory, she would have felt the same thing he had when he was eight. A pull to a certain section, an almost whisper in her mind, leading her to the spot where he’d found the book on Eldric, Seraphina, and Thatcher.

There were more books in that section, but he’d never had the nerve to pull them down, not after he’d started having the dreams about the three of them. Perhaps now, though, they could look at them together. When he turned down that aisle, Hermione had already gathered the three books that were there and he reached up to grab the fourth and largest tome. “Here, I’ve got this one. Harry, can you grab that one there, with the faded yellow cover?”

Harry stretched his arm up to grab the book on Helga Hufflepuff’s genealogy and the three of them left the close quarters to go to the round table at the back of the library. But instead of sitting in those chairs, Draco lead them to the couch. They might as well get comfortable; this was going to be a long story. Since Harry had been raised in the Muggle world, as was Hermione, he wouldn’t know anything about Eldric Gryffindor, or about the legend in the book Draco had read several years ago.

“You mean you aren’t going to dive right into those books, Hermione?” Harry asked her, chuckling quietly as they all settled in on the couch. 

Hermione dug into her jacket, pulling the smallest book from her pocket. “No, Harry, I’m not. Draco mentioned, in the letter the two of you sent me, that you had asked him about how close the two of us were.”

A blush painted Harry’s cheeks, but he nodded as Hermione turned her back into Draco’s side, much like she would do in the common room at Hogwarts, her feet resting in Harry’s lap. “Well, we have a bit of a theory as to why. We aren’t one hundred percent sure of it, or even twenty percent sure, really. But we think it has to do with the three people in this book.” Hermione handed the book over to Harry.

Harry looked at the cover where a rendering on the front showed a young woman with dark curly hair and two young men flanking her, then flipped the book over and read the synopsis on the back. “Hang on, Gryffindor and Slytherin, as in the founders?”

Draco nodded around Hermione’s hair. “Yes. According to that book, Eldric Gryffindor and Seraphina Slytherin. Eldric was the son of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff, and Seraphina is said to be the daughter of Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw. But, in all the history books and genealogy that we have access to today, there is no mention whatsoever of a Seraphina Slytherin. Eldric is there and his bloodline can be traced down to living descendants today. There is a mention of Salazar and Rowena being briefly married, for about twenty years, but the marriage was dissolved with no mention of children from the union. Salazar never married again. However, Rowena did, but kept her name, and had a daughter named Helena.”

Harry’s green eyes dropped back down to the book in his hands, a crease in his brow. “But who is this Thatcher Black?”

Hermione adjusted herself on the couch. “Well, in the book, it says he and his brother were the first wizards in their family line. Their parents were Muggles. So they would have started the House of Black, which is Draco’s mum’s family. And he said that he’s never seen Thatcher’s name on the tapestry. Or his brother’s name.”

“But the Blacks are such pureblood maniacs that they could have magically altered the tapestry to hide Thatcher and his brother, to give the appearance that the family always came from full-blood wizards.” Draco said, pulling Hermione’s hair out of the way. “Even though all wizarding families had to start from somewhere, so that’s slightly off the rocker, but again, highly possible with my crazy family.”

“So what is your theory?” Harry asked, holding the book up, looking at the front again. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he studied the picture. “Hey, this guy kind of favors you, Draco. With the coloring, same hair and everything. Eyes are different, though.”

Draco nodded, pulling his arm out from behind Hermione and draped it over her shoulder. “That’s where our theory comes in. While most people would have just brushed this book off as fiction, seeing that there is no record of Seraphina or Thatcher actually having existed, we think that this actually happened. That this is all true. When wizards and witches get married, they have the option of the soul bond, which is exactly what it sounds like.”

Harry nodded his head in understanding. “An intertwining of two individual souls, right. So how exactly did it go down? In the book? The back didn’t give that much away.”

Hermione and Draco exchanged glances, and Hermione spoke. “The founders had signed a marriage contract betrothing Eldric and Seraphina so that Hogwarts would remain in the family, so to speak. But Seraphina fell in love with one of the contracted workers building Hogwarts. They ran away and got married in the middle of the night. Eldric had been spying on them and found out about the marriage. He became incensed that he wasn’t getting what he had been promised, so to speak, and flew off the rails. He took Seraphina and Thatcher to the dungeon, tortured and killed Thatcher, and then tortured Seraphina.

“When a soul bond is performed, the husband and wife are given a spell that they can use that will call the other spouse if thet ever get separated. Seraphina tried to use that spell and with Thatcher dead, it threw her into some kind of magical coma. Eldric knew that she was still alive; he tried to wake her, but nothing worked. So he hid her away and warded the hiding place, but the book doesn’t say where. He then went back and told the Founders that Thatcher turned on Seraphina and killed her. Eldric said that he had killed Thatcher for it and disposed of his body. Thatcher was a Muggleborn; Salazar was already leery of them, but that incident is what sealed his hatred of them.” Hermione finished.  
Harry frowned, plopping the book down in his lap. “So what, you guys think you may be Seraphina and Thatcher reincarnated?”

“Well, that’s the problem. Sure, Draco could be Thatcher reincarnated, because Thatcher actually died. But Seraphina was put in some kind of magical coma. For all we know, she could have died once her body deteriorated. You can only go so long without food and water. Or, the magic from the spell and the coma could have preserved her completely and she could still be sleeping. Or she could even be awake and among us now, we just don’t know. There’s so many variables. But I do know that I have been having visions and dreams of her life. When I first met you and Ron, on the boats, when we shook hands, I had my first vision then. So I also think Ron is connected.” Hermione leaned her head against Draco’s shoulder and shut her eyes.

“Ron? Seriously? Are the Weasleys even related to any of the Founders?” Harry asked, looking over at the table where four of the large tomes were stacked. The covers were. red, yellow, blue and green, representing the four founders. The books showed their family trees.

“We don’t know yet, Harry.” Draco answered. “But you don’t necessarily have to have the same bloodline to be reincarnated as someone. Eldric lived a full life, though, so it is possible that Ron’s family, whether on his father’s side or his mother’s side, could be related to either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff along the way.”

Harry ran his hand through his hair, scratching at the messy locks. “This is all giving me a headache and confusing the bloody hell out of me.”

Hermione laughed softly and nudged Harry’s knee. “You get confused by choosing which undershirt to wear in the mornings. Come on, let’s go swimming, we’ll come back to this later.” Harry tickled her foot and Draco laughed when she jerked her feet back and squirmed against him. They rose from the couch and left to go change before heading to the pool.


	19. Merry Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, my Soulies. So, this is sort of a filler chapter. But Merry Christmas to our little trio! They also get a little visit from some fellow Hogwarts students. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. Just the changes to the original plot.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

The next few days passed in a blur. Hermione came over every day, except for the weekend, and then Christmas was upon them. Draco had made sure that Harry had been having the time of his life. They were waiting on Hermione to show up after Christmas with her parents. Draco had made his mum promise to wait to open gifts until after Hermione arrived.

His mum had seemed baffled that he hadn’t wanted to open gifts right away, but when Draco had explained that he and Harry wanted to wait for Hermione, her facial features softened and she had nodded. It was a surprise to Draco that his mum had relented so quickly and easily. She had never been one to change tradition.

Draco was once again pacing the room that held the fireplace connected to the Flloo. Harry was showering. Draco had told Harry that he would go and wait for Hermione and that Harry could come and meet him when he was done. Draco had once again become agitated and on edge. He hadn’t seen Hermione since Monday and it was now Wednesday. If their theory was correct, he and Hermione were indeed soul bound, and that was why he suffered so much when they were apart.

Hermione had yet to experience the same thing he had and neither of them knew why. The two of them and Harry had talked about it over the holidays and they hadn’t come up with an explanation yet. The fireplace came to life as the flames turned emerald, Hermione spilling out of the grate. She had learned to better control her landing when coming through.

Draco knew something was wrong before Hermione had even looked up. He moved over to her and tilted her chin up to find tears in her eyes. “Hermione, what’s wrong?”

“It was such a crippling pain, Draco,” Hermione said, wrapping her arms around his waist and turning her nose into his chest. 

He held her tightly, his hand rubbing her back as he frowned. He didn’t know what she was talking about and he wanted to find out. “Hermione, what hurt you?”

“I woke up in the middle of the night, this pain in my chest was so bad that I had to curl up into a ball. I just wanted to Floo right over here to you. It never went away but it dimmed to a tolerable level. It didn’t totally go away until now.” Suddenly Draco understood what she meant, but her separation pain seemed to be much worse than his. More physical than emotional.

Draco hugged her tightly to his chest. “It’s okay, you’re here now. I’ve got you. We don’t have much longer to go on the holidays and we’ll be back at Hogwarts together. Merry Christmas.” This was going to be a problem, Draco thought. Especially during summer holidays when they were away from each other for a longer duration.

“Merry Christmas, Draco. Where’s Harry?” Hermione asked, lifting her head from Draco’s chest, looking around the room. 

Draco took her hand and lead her to the door, out into the hallway. “Well, he actually should have been here by now, but he is taking a shower. A rather long one, actually. We’ll stop by his room first.”

They wandered through the halls, heading towards the room next to Draco’s, but they didn’t make it that far. They met Harry halfway there. His glasses were fogged and his hair was still dripping wet, laying flat against his head. “Hermione, hey! Sorry, I lost track of time. That shower is amazing. Merry Christmas!”

Hermione left Draco’s side to give Harry a hug. “Merry Christmas, Harry.” Draco took the lead as they went to the parlor where the Christmas tree was along with the gifts and his parents. The double doors were already open, and his mother and father’s voices could be heard filtering out into the cavernous foyer. Draco grinned back at his friends as he stepped into the room.

The tree towered to the ceiling. It decorated in the colors of Slytherin house, as was normal, but at Draco’s begging and his mother laying down the law with his father, Gryffindor colors had been added as well. Hermione’s eyes lit up at the sight of the massive tree before her, enchanted snow falling on the branches. “It’s so beautiful,” she breathed, her hands coming up to rest at her mouth, which had dropped open in awe. Hermione had told him before that Christmas was her favorite holiday and he had wanted to give her one she would remember forever.

“Hermione, dear, so lovely to see you again. These boys have been rather morose without you around.” His mother said from her seat beside the fire, she gestured for Hermione to come and join her. Hermione obliged and Narcissa gave Hermione a kiss on her cheek. “Draco, dear, why don’t you and Harry disperse the gifts?”

Draco watched for a moment as Hermione settled into the couch next to his mother as if she belonged there. He smiled as he turned to the tree and began to gather the gifts Harry had left behind. He placed the gifts for Hermione in her lap and set his next to hers. “Harry? Where do you want your gifts?”

Harry looked over at him, his brow raised. “I have gifts?”

Narcissa looked at Harry with a gentle smile. “Of course, sweet boy. We wouldn’t leave you out. It would have been inconsiderate of me, of us.” Harry blushed under his still damp hair and pointed to the armchair on the other side of the fireplace for Draco to place his presents. “Thank you, Narcissa, Mr. Malfoy.”

Once all of the wrapped packages were delivered, Draco took his place next to Hermione with a smile. He lifted a precisely wrapped package. He had spent hours on it, perfecting each angle that he folded, placing each piece of spell-o-tape carefully so that it wasn’t visible. “Open this one first,” he said with a grin, watching Hermione closely.

Hermione’s honey brown eyes looked at him with curiosity as she began to unwrap the gift he had personally picked out for her. When she got all of the tape unstuck and began to pull the paper away, she looked down. The book that was revealed had her gasping in excitement. It was a first edition of Care of Magical Creatures by Newt Scamander. She had been talking about wanting a copy since she had picked up a third year’s copy in the common room.

“Draco, this is amazing, thank you!” She threw her arms about his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Draco saw his mother glance over at his father with a knowing smile. Something seemed to pass between them and they both rose from their seats. “Please excuse us, we will return momentarily.”

His parents left the room and Draco looked after them a little confused, but was shaken from his confusion when Harry started talking. “This one has no name on the card. It just says that my father left it to them and to use it well. Use it well? It’s just a cloak.” Harry said, lifting it from the box it was in, standing to hold it up in front of him.

Draco had to laugh at Harry’s sarcasm, but when Harry flipped the cloak around to put it on, both Draco and Hermione sat up straighter, their eyes widening, shock making them speechless. Harry looked at them, confusion on his face. “What? Does it look stupid?”

Hermione shook her head and pointed at the ornate mirror Draco’s mother kept in the corner of the room. Harry turned around to face it and screamed, rather loudly and girlishly. “Where’s my body gone? I’m invisible!” Harry ripped the cloak off, his body reappearing and shook his head in disbelief. “That is bloody brilliant.”

“It is, but it’s best if we don’t tell anyone about it,” Hermione said, going back to opening her gifts. She opened a book on charms from Harry and a book on the Hogwarts founders from Draco’s parents, as well as a golden bracelet with red ribbon laced throughout the large links. At that moment, his parents returned and Hermione beamed at them. “Thank you so very much for the book and bracelet, they are both beautiful.”

“You are welcome, darling girl. The bracelet will only accentuate your natural beauty,” Narcissa answered. Lucius gave an approving nod. “The book will give you an insight on why Hogwarts was founded and what the Founders wanted from the school.”

It was almost as if his parents knew what the three of them had been talking about over the last week. Draco didn’t have time to dwell on it as a distraction in the shape of his two pre-Hogwarts best friends walked in.

“Draco-ho-ho!” Blaise called as he strolled in like he owned the place. Theo trailed behind him, quiet and retrospective as usual. But then again, Blaise made enough noise for everyone in the room.

“Merry Christmas, everyone,” Theo said in his quiet voice, taking a seat across the room. Narcissa gave him a smile as he sat down. Everyone was used to his distant ways; they were  a product of being raised by his vainglorious father. Draco had often eavesdropped on his parents talking about how they wished they could take Theo from his father and give him a better life full of love and happiness, not one full of loneliness.

“Merry Christmas, sweet Theo,” Narcissa replied. Blaise sauntered over and sank down, worming his way between Draco and Hermione. The action caused Draco to tense. His arm stretched behind Blaise, his fingers twirling into Hermione’s hair, the silken strands touching his skin bringing him comfort.

“Yeah, a very merry Christmas to ya Malfoy’s. And you, Granger and Potter. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise’s horrible attempt at an Irish accent. 

Narcissa laughed under her breath and his father just shook his head. “Cissa, dear, I do believe that we can retire ourselves and let these kids have the parlor.”

Draco’s parents rose and Lucius grabbed his wife’s hand and started to lead her from the parlor, just as Blaise began to sing out loudly, in a rich baritone, “Let’s get it on.” 

Narcissa turned back, her eyes on the dark-skinned boy, “Blaise Zabini, you will watch your mouth. You are only eleven years old, you will not talk such filth in this household, or you will leave, do you understand me?”

Blaise stared in open-mouthed shock at Narcissa, but nodded slowly. Draco’s mother smirked and turned to follow her husband from the room.


	20. Fluffy: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my lovely Soulies. I'm sorry that it has been so long since an update. This part of the story has been proving rather difficult for me. But, I am hoping to power through it quickly and get us onto second year for our new trio. I have some exciting things planned for second year.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing, JK owns all.
> 
> XoXo,
> 
> Elle.

Blaise and Theo had stayed late into the night for Christmas and returned for a little New Year’s party, as had Hermione. It had brought the five of them closer as friends, though not as close as Harry, Draco and her. But it was nice to have friends in another house, especially from the house that all of wizarding Europe seemed to think should be at odds with her house. Hermione had thought it was bollocks to begin with, but now that she had learned more about the two Slytherin boys, she knew it was.

Now they were all sharing a compartment on the train back to school. Hermione was sitting next to Draco, with Harry on her other side, while Blaise and Theo were sitting opposite them. “Why are you two always so close? It’s like you’re always touching.” Blaise asked, looking between Draco and Hermione.

Draco looked down at Hermione with a grin and shrugged at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Draco, before looking at Blaise. “We’re best friends and just really comfortable with each other. I’m the same way with Harry.” At that, she wiggled her legs, which were currently resting in the bespectacled boy's lap.

Blaise’s eyes narrowed at the three of them, a shrewd expression on his already handsome young face. It was almost as if he could see right through her half-truth, but then the look was gone and he was back to making some lewd joke, “Yeah, keep telling yourselves that, before long you’ll all be sharing a bed.”

Draco nearly choked on the pumpkin juice his mum had sent with him at Blaise’s words. Hermione didn’t know where Blaise got his sick sense of humor, but it was disgusting. “Blaise! That is gross! We’re eleven! Well, I’m twelve, but still! That’s too young to even be thinking about anything of the sort.”

Hermione could feel the heat in her cheeks and was sure that she was the color of a tomato, so she tucked her nose into Draco’s chest, her hair hiding the rest of her face. She could practically feel the glare that Draco was throwing at Blaise.

“Really, Blaise, was that necessary?” Theo’s quiet voice asked, and there was a mumbled reply after that.

A few minutes later Hermione lifted her head and her eyes caught with Blaise’s. “I'm sorry.” Blaise said. The sincerity in the simple apology was obvious and Hermione nodded her acceptance.

The rest of the train ride was spent in mostly silence, Hermione sitting comfortably between Harry and Draco, talking with Theo about some of the homework that had been assigned over the hols. When the train pulled into the station, Draco grabbed their things and smiled at Hermione.

They all rode in the same carriage back to the castle, and Hermione found herself reminiscing on the midnight adventure she and the boys had had when they had found that three-headed dog. With everything that had been happening lately, she had pushed the event to the back of her mind, but there was a light flickering in the third floor corridor and it set her mind to whirling.

Their time in that room had been short, but she had noticed the giant animal standing on a trap door, as if it were placed there to guard it. It had Hermione’s mind spinning as to what could possibly lie beneath that door that required such a ferocious beast. And why on Earth would they keep whatever it was in a school full of mischievous children?

The carriage jerked to a halt, pulling Hermione from the memory, and she stood, allowing Theo and Harry to help her down. “Thank you, boys.”

Draco offered Hermione his arm and she took it, walking into the school with him, smiling softly. “Tomorrow you, Harry and I need to have a conversation about something. Out on the grounds where it's least likely we'll be overheard,” Hermione whispered to him, watching as he nodded. He didn’t question her; he probably assumed it was about their personal situation. She   
want to talk to them about that, even though they had talked about that subject in circles over Christmas. But this was more important at the moment--Hermione just knew it.

XxX

Draco followed Hermione down a sloping hill, Harry stomping along with them, making as much noise as possible. “Would it kill you to lighten your steps, Potter?” Draco asked, annoyance coloring his tone.

Harry sent back a very rude hand gesture, one he must have learned from Blaise, and kept clomping his feet. They finally got to a spot Hermione was happy with, near the groundskeeper Hagrid’s hut, and she conjured a blanket to spread out on the ground. The boys waited until Hermione had sat and then followed suit. “So, as we were riding in the carriages last night, I looked up at the castle and saw a flickering light in the third floor corridor.”

The boy's eyes widened and they both looked at her incredulously. “That's where that dog thing was,” Harry said, leaning back on his arms. “It was probably one of the professors feeding it. I mean, it has to eat, right? What do you think it eats? A whole cow? Or maybe an erumpent?”

Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry and continued, “Regardless, it got me thinking. When we were in there that night, I noticed it was standing on a trapdoor. Now, that--”

“How in Salazar’s name did you notice that?! I was too busy worrying about its heads! There were three of them, you know,” Draco chimed in, looking at Hermione with wide eyes. They were all so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't hear the pair of large boots approaching them.

A loud voice boomed out, causing the three of them to jump up off of the ground, “How d’you three know ‘bout Fluffy?”

“Hagrid! We, uh…” Harry stammered, looking up at the half-giant that had shown him around Diagon Alley. “We stumbled upon him by accident, running from Filch. His name is Fluffy? Who in the bloody hell would name that thing Fluffy?”

Hagrid puffed his chest out proudly and Draco knew immediately that Fluffy was Hagrid’s animal. “Well, he’s mine, it’n he? I named ‘im.”

Draco rolled his eyes as he sat back down on the blanket, stretching his legs out. “But that doesn't answer our question. Why is he in the castle?”

“To guard the philosopher’s stone,” Hagrid said plainly, playing tug of war with Fang.

The three young kids looked at each other and Hermione spoke up. “The philosopher’s stone? Where have I heard of that before? I know I've read it somewhere. It has something to do with alchemy.” She began pacing around the edge of the blanket, mumbling to herself.

“That does sound familiar. I think I've heard of it, too. Maybe on a chocolate frog card.” Draco added.

Harry looked down at Draco and then shoved hs hand into his pocket, pulling out a stack of chocolate frog cards. “You're right, Draco!”

He began shuffling through them, holding up a specific one, when Hagrid looked up. “He's hiding it for his friend Nicolas Flamel.”

“Here it is! On Dumbledore’s card. Says he worked with noted alchemist Nicolas Flamel.” Harry said at the same time as Hagrid, the half-giant looking up as he finally realized how much he had divulged.

“I should not have said that. Time for me to go! You kids don't go sticking your noses where they don't belong, now.” With that warning, he hustled off quickly, Fang following behind.

Hermione was still pacing back and forth, her hair frizzing as she tried to place where she had come across the philosopher’s stone before. Draco and Harry exchanged glances--they knew where this was going. They both mouthed the words at the exact moment Hermione said it: “We have to go to the library.”


	21. Norbert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hello my Soulies! I'm back! Firstly, I want to apologize for the near 3 month absence from this story. I just lost my connection with it. But I believe I have finally found it again! I hope that you enjoy this chapter! I feel it's time to give yet another shout out to Slytherinmomma88 for giving me this plunny, letting me bring it to fruition. And as always, many many thanks to my amazing beta, Frogster. Please, let me know what you think!**
> 
> **Disclaimer: I own nothing. JK owns all.**
> 
> **XoXo,**
> 
> **Elle.**

They had run straight to the library, much to Draco and Harry’s dismay. They could have been on the pitch, practicing for their upcoming Quidditch match. But instead, they’d followed the bushy haired know-it-all into the library to research Nicolas Flamel. “I know I’ve read about him somewhere. I just have to find the book. It was just some light reading and I think it was from this section. Boys! Don’t just stand there. Help me look! It wasn’t a book on Nicolas Flamel. Drat! Why can I not remember the title? Or the author?”

Draco and Harry exchanged exasperated looks, but didn’t argue. They could see her hair starting to frizz as her anxiety and distress set in. Sparks were firing between the curls and Draco took Hermione by the shoulders, turning her to face him. “Booky, just calm down. Breathe with me.” Draco began taking exaggerated breaths and Hermione’s eyes locked on his shoulders, watching them rise and fall, slowing her breathing to match his.

This wasn’t the first time that they had done something like this. Hermione was terrified of storms, not so much the rain and the lightning, but the crashing, booming and castle-rattling thunder. So naturally, the frequent Scottish storms would work her into a panic attack -- as would studying for a big exam that was coming up. Draco only assumed it was going to get worse as finals began to creep in. “That’s it, Booky. That’s good. Now, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on that book. Tell me what it looked like.”

Draco looked at Harry, who gave him a nod. Harry would look for the book as Draco kept her calm and talking, spouting out the details. In fifteen minutes, they had found the book, with a visual confirmation from Hermione.

Harry carried the book over to the nearest table, setting it down with a resounding thump and he looked at Hermione. “Light reading? This thing weighs as much as I do.” That earned a quiet giggle from Hermione and Draco breathed a sigh of relief. She was past her panic attack which meant she would be back to her normal self in the next few minutes.

“We all know what you think about reading, Harry. You barely read enough to get your homework done while Draco and I actually enjoy reading for leisure,” Hermione retorted and took a seat at the table, flipping open the dusty and worn leather cover of the book. Her finger scanned the table of contents, looking for what she needed. Hermione began chewing her lip when she didn’t find what she was looking for; she began looking through them again. “Hmm, it may be this one.”

The book was opened, dust puffing up from the pages as they got a hit of fresh air. Draco sat down next to Hermione, Harry taking the seat on her opposite side as they all three leaned in to look at what Hermione was reading. Though neither of them knew what they were looking at yet. Hermione’s fingers were running across the pages, fingers getting coated in a layer of the grimy dust.

On Hermione’s left, Harry let off a sneeze. “Bless yer,” came from the stacks behind them and the three of them turned around to look at where the voice came from.

“Hagrid?” Harry asked.

The big, lumbering half-giant walked out from the shelves and smiled at the three of them. “Hello kids. What’re yeh lookin’ at?” He walked over and looked down at the book they were looking through.

“Just looking for more on Nicolas Flamel. What are you doing in the library?” Harry said, his eyes narrowing at the groundskeeper. They were all aware that Hagrid wasn’t one to be found in the library. When he began to shift from foot to foot and dodge their gaze, they knew there was something afoot with the gentle creature.

“Oh, eh, jus’ doin’ some research.” Hagrid was getting more shifty by the second, refusing to even look in their direction. “Well, best be off!” Then he was gone, rushing out of the library with a blush on what they could see of his cheeks.

Draco frowned over at Hermione and Harry, rising from his chair.

“Where are you going, Draco?” Hermione asked, getting up to follow him. Draco wound his way through the stacks, back to where they had heard Hagrid’s voice.

“I wanted to see what section he was in. He was far too shifty--” Draco trailed off as he looked around at the tomes they were surrounded by, a frown creasing his brow. They were in the magical creatures section. Hagrid did have a legitimate reason to be in that section as he usually dealt with plenty of animals in his position.

Hermione was looking around at the shelves closely, frowning as well. “Draco, look at this.”

She pointed at a shelf where the dust was disturbed, but she wasn’t pointing at the shelf itself, Hermione was pointing at the rows of books. Draco frowned, leaning in and narrowing his eyes, “Dragons? He was looking at dragons? Why would he be doing that? Dragons are illegal in the UK.”

“He's always wanted one.” Harry looked slightly green as he divulged that piece of information.

Hermione looked over at Harry with wide eyes, “You don't think that he's somehow got his hands on one do you?”

Draco didn't like the sounds of this, nor the look on Harry’s face. Because that look meant that Harry was sure that that was exactly what Hagrid had done. “We need to go see Hagrid later, after we find out about Nicolas Flamel. Hermione, let's get back to reading.”

Hermione gave a firm nod, now looking slightly green in the face as well and walked back to their table to skim through the book once more.

After a couple of hours searching through the massive book, Hermione gave a sound of triumph and began reading aloud, “Nicolas Flamel, noted alchemist and only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone. The stone produces the Elixir of Life, giving the owner the ability to extend their life well beyond what is considered normal, even for wizard-kind. The stone has also been rumored to turn any metal into gold. Flamel credits Albus Dumbledore in some of his latest research and lives peacefully with his wife in Devon, last roughly estimated to be over six hundred and seventy years old.”

The trio exchanged looks, their eyes wide as they each came to the realization of what Fluffy must be hiding. None of them wanted to say it out loud, but now they had even more reason to go to Hagrid.

“Snape is after the stone,” Harry said, still adamant that Draco’s godfather was the bad guy.

Draco gave one of his sneers that he usually directed at everyone else to Harry. “Uncle Sev is not after the stone, Harry. I don't know why you want to see him as the villain.”

Harry was winding up for a retort, but Hermione stopped him. “Boys, stop it. We don't know who is after what. We need to go down and talk to Hagrid. And we need to hurry, it's getting dark. If we're caught out after curfew, Professor McGonagall will have a conniption.”

Hermione waved her wand at the book and it zoomed away, back to its rightful place. The three of them hurried from the library, unaware of the tall and lanky ginger following them.

They scurried across the grounds to Hagrid’s cabin and Harry pounded on the door. “Hagrid!”

Fang, Hagrid’s giant boar hound barked loudly from inside the small cabin. They could hear Hagrid’s futile attempts to quiet the dog as if pretending he wasn't home.

“We know you're in there!” Draco yelled, losing his patience. He was just about to open the door on his own when Hagrid opened it, wearing the most ridiculous get up Draco had ever seen.

Hagrid had on a pink apron covered in purple flowers and soot. It was frilly around the edges and entirely too small for him, the ties hanging loosely at the sides of his belly. He had large, padded cauldron mitts on and held a pair of iron fire tongs in one hand. “Wha’ is it? ‘M busy.”

Draco rolled his eyes and was about to smart off when Harry interrupted him, his voice low, “We know about the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid. That's what Fluffy is guarding, isn't it?”

Hagrid’s flushed face paled and he ushered them in, using his large mittened hand to pull them in and shut the door behind them. “Yeh shouldn’ be messin’ in summat that ain't got nuttin’ ta do wit’ yeh. Leave it be.”

“But Snape is after the stone! When the troll got in, he must have went to try and get it, because he had a bad gash on his leg!” Harry protested.

Once again, Draco was going to rise to his godfathers defense, but he was interrupted. “Why would he try ter steal it? He's one o’ the professors protectin' it, it’n he?”

It was said in the form of a question, but it was obviously rhetorical. Then Hagrid realized what he said and shook his head, “Shouldn’ve said that.” There was a rattling sound over by the fire and as one, the three of them looked around Hagrid at the cauldron hanging over the flames.

Hagrid was purposely ignoring the sound, no doubt trying to draw their attention away from it as he headed for the door. “Now, yeh best be gettin' to the castle. It's after yeh curfew.” But Draco moved over to the cauldron and looked in, his grey eyes widening in shock.

“Hagrid, where did you get that?” Hermione asked, her voice tight and worried.

Hagrid sighed and shut the door. He walked over to the cauldron and took out the shaking egg, placing it on the worn, dented and scratched wooden table. “Won it off a fella in the pub.”

That was all he said, before they were all mesmerized by the egg starting to crack. Before long, a little dragon head was poking out and making little trilling sounds. The dragon turned to look up at Hagrid and the half-giant grinned, “Oh, bless ‘im. He knows his mummy.” The baby dragon hiccuped and out shot tiny flames, catching a bit of Hagrid’s beard on fire. Hagrid patted it out with his mitt. “Oh, look at you Norbert.”

The door behind them burst open and Ron Weasley stood in the doorway. “That's a Norwegian Ridgeback. My brother works with those in Romania. What are you doing with a dragon? They’re illegal here.”

Everyone in the cabin turned to look at Ron with wide eyes, scared of what he might do. He had several choices. Two of which were to come over and look at the dragon, or run and tell. Draco was surprised when he walked over to inspect the new hatchling. “Hagrid, you can't keep it.” Ron stated simply.

Hagrid looked hurt and defensive, opening his mouth to argue, but Hermione stepped in. “Ron is right. You can't. They are illegal and keeping Norbert will likely get you thrown in Azkaban.”

At the mention of the wizarding prison Hagrid went white as a sheet, swallowing thickly. “Azkaban?”

“I'll write to Charlie. He'll know what to do.” Ron offered and Draco was in shock. A glance at his best friends and he could tell they were feeling the same. Ron Weasley was being nice.

Hagrid simply nodded, looking down at Norbert.

With a look between the four students, they decided it was time to go. They said quiet goodbyes to Hagrid and left the cabin. The walk up the grounds was mostly silent, until Hermione spoke up, “Thank you, Ron. That was nice of you.”

Ron gave a nod, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I like Hagrid, he's a nice guy. And I don't want him to get in trouble.”

They crested the hill, the giant double entrance doors coming into view. One side was open, light spilling out onto the steps and grass, a long shadow stretching across the distance, topped with a witch’s hat. “Shite,” Draco murmured. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Alright ladies, and hopefully gents, there is was. I hope you enjoyed it. Please, please review and let me know what you thought.
> 
> All my love,
> 
> Elle.


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